8 Affordable Royal Oak Alternatives That Aren’t Swatches (and Can Actually Be Worn on the Wrist)

The entire modern genre of luxury integrated sports watches has its origins in a single groundbreaking timepiece introduced in 1972 by design luminary Gérald Genta.

Yes, you can thank the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak for pioneering the concept of a steel sports watch as a status symbol, and many decades later, its prestige is stronger than ever.

For evidence of that, one needn’t look any further than the recent launch of the $400 Audemars Piguet x Swatch Royal Pop, a plastic pocket watch/Labubu fighter designed to look like the Royal Oak, complete with AP’s signature branding and a manually wound Swatch movement.

Swatch

The world collectively went insane when the Royal Pop hit Swatch stores on May 16, with mass incidents of violence, chaos and arrests causing Swatch to close several stores and pause sales to quell the unrest.

The flippers who were able to secure a Royal Pop amid the insanity are now selling them for around four times the SRP online, which is still a bargain compared to the ~$30,000 price of an actual Royal Oak.

Photo by Henry Phillips for Gear Patrol

But if it’s a Royal Oak vibe that you’re after, then you’re better off skipping out on the Royal Pop madness. There are plenty of affordable steel wristwatches out there that incorporate many of the Royal Oak’s iconic traits, such as an octagonal bezel, exposed screws, a textured “tapisserie” dial and a thin case architecture that’s integrated into an angular bracelet.

The eight watches below are all priced below $3,000, with most coming in at less than half that number, and will give a much closer wearing experience to an actual Royal Oak than a Swatch bag charm.

G-Shock 2100 Series Full Metal

G-Shock

G-Shock 2100 Series Full Metal

G-Shock debuted its 2100 series to great acclaim in 2019, with the watch quickly becoming a bestseller for the brand. With its thinner case and octagonal bezel, the 2100 also quickly drew comparisons to the Royal Oak, earning the nickname “CasiOak” that has stuck around ever since. In 2022, the 2100 earned a full metal case and bracelet, bringing it much closer to a Royal Oak in looks while still offering all of G-Shock’s trademark toughness and functionality, including a world timer, perpetual calendar, chronograph, alarm, smartphone connectivity and more.

Specs

Case Size	49.8mm × 44.4mm
Movement	Casio solar Bluetooth multi-function quartz
Water Resistance	200m

• $600 at G-Shock

Tissot PRX Powermatic 80

Tissot

Tissot PRX Powermatic 80

While it wasn’t the first attempt at an affordable integrated sports watch during the recent boom, Tissot’s blockbuster watch definitely kicked the trend into overdrive. Often cited as one of the best watches available under $1,000, and with good reason, the PRX derives its retro looks from a 1970s Tissot Seastar quartz reference. You can get a quartz PRX, too, for even less money, but the automatic version hews most closely to the Royal Oak. It has a similar waffle-textured dial, and while the Powermatic 80 movement within doesn’t come close to the haute horological wonders that power AP’s watches, it’s no slouch with an 80-hour power reserve and an anti-magnetic Nivachron hairspring.

Specs

Case Size	36, 40mm
Movement	Tissot Powermatic 80 automatic (ETA base)
Water Resistance	100m

• $850 at Macy's

Mido Multifort 8 One Crown

Mido

Mido Multifort 8 One Crown

Mido updates its Royal Oak-inspired Multifort 8 integrated sports watch by ditching one of its two crowns and giving it a cleaner dial and a new movement. The stainless steel watch keeps its octagonal bezel, integrated bracelet and textured dial, the three elements that make it one of the most desirable Royal Oak alternatives for arounf $1,000

Specs

Case Size	40mm
Movement	Mido Cal. 80 automatic (ETA)
Water Resistance	100m

• $1,070 at Bloomingdale's

Citizen Series8 890

Citizen

Citizen Series8 890

If you’re more interested in some of the Royal Oak’s more extreme variations, namely the Offshore Diver, then you simply won’t find a better affordable option than Citizen’s dive-ready take on its Series8 integrated sports watch. Featuring an octagonal bezel, a waffle-textured dial with bold, applied maxi-style indices, an integrated rubber strap and a rotating internal bezel operated via a second crown, this Japanese dive watch sure isn’t hiding its design inspiration.

Specs

Case Size	42.6mm
Movement	Miyota Cal. 9051 automatic
Water Resistance	200m

• $1,295 at Citizen

Nivada Grenchen F77

Nivada Grenchen

Nivada Grenchen F77 MKII

Nivada expands the second generation of its F77 integrated sports watch reboot by introducing Tressed dials for an even closer resemblance to the original 1977 watch’s inspiration, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak. Just as before, the watch maintains its porthole-like octagonal bezel with its six exposed screws, bringing it very close to Royal Oak territory, but its integrated three-link Oyster-style bracelet gives the F77 a character all its own.

Specs

Case Size	38mm
Movement	Soprod Cal. P024 automatic
Water Resistance	100m

• $1,360 at Nivada Grenchen

Christopher Ward The Twelve

Christopher Ward

Christopher Ward The Twelve

The Twelve turned a whole lot of heads when it debuted last year (including ours), arguably becoming enthusiast-favorite Christopher Ward’s new flagship watch in quick order. And it’s easy to see why. With a level of finishing better than anything at its price — and perhaps superior to anything twice its price — the Twelve offers a whole lot of value for money. With its thin, twelve-sided bezel, its cleverly textured dial featuring a repeating 3D pattern of the brand’s twin flags logo, and its sporty vibes, the CW’s take on an integrated sports watch really isn’t all that similar to the Royal Oak. It’s a lot more contemporary in its design, without much in the way of retro influence. But make no mistake: If it weren’t for Genta and the Royal Oak, the Twelve would not exist, as evidenced by the six hexagonal screws holding down its caseback in a subtle tribute to the icon.

Specs

Case Size	36, 38, 40mm
Movement	Sellita SW 200-1 automatic
Water Resistance	100m

• $1,495 at Christopher Ward

Alpina Alpiner Extreme

Alpina

Alpina Alpiner Extreme Automatic

Revamped in 2019 with a smaller 39mm case size (thank goodness, because this watch wears large), the Alpiner Extreme is loaded to the max with sharp angles and contrasting finishes. It’s quite the stunner in the metal, and we admit to once having been fooled into thinking one was a Royal Oak when we spotted it on someone’s wrist across the room. The six exposed screws on the vertically brushed dial read very AP, but the screws subtly feature Alpina’s Matterhorn logo at their center — a nod to the brand’s adventurous ethos. That sense of adventure comes through in the specs, too, as the Alpiner Extreme lives up to its name with 200m of water resistance and aggressive styling.

Specs

Case Size	39, 41mm
Movement	Alpina Cal. AL-525 automatic (Sellita base)
Water Resistance	200m

• $2,195 at Nordstrom

Maurice Lacroix Aikon

Maurice Lacroix

Maurice Lacroix Aikon

If you want to get as close to looking like you’ve got a Royal Oak on your wrist as possible without actually buying a Royal Oak, then the Aikon is the way to go. Easily Maurice Lacroix’s best-known model, the Aikon wears its influence on its sleeve with its bracelet, dial, hands and indices all looking very much like what you’ll find on an AP. Where the Aikon sets itself apart from the icon, though, is in its case and bezel. Rather than being an exercise in angularity like the Royal Oak, the Aikon is all smooth, with a round case and a round vertically brushed bezel. In place of exposed screws, the bezel is held in place by mirror-polished claws — similar to what you’ll find on an Omega Constellation — that give the watch a seriously dynamic appearance.

Specs

Case Size	39, 42mm
Movement	Maurice LaCroix Cal. ML115 automatic (Sellita base)
Water Resistance	200m

• $2,800 at Maurice Lacroix

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