ost watch brands want an icon in their catalogue: a product that conveys their values and boosts profit. Often, these are models whose long-standing history is testament to their legitimacy.

Not all icons demonstrate continuity of design or narrative. Some become icons under specific conditions which prompt their makers to focus development on early models.

The creation of iconic luxury products is a subject worthy of attention. In this article, I show how Europa Star’s archives can contribute to such an observation.

Take the example of one of the most famous iconic watches: the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak. The number of mentions in the magazine’s Europe (1972-2016) and Global (2017-2024) issues shows an inflection point in the 1990s, when Swiss watches began to reframe as luxury products. The number of mentions went from an average of 1.3 per year in the 1970s and 1.8 in the 1980s to 6.3 in the 1990s, 5.8 in the 2000s, 6 in the 2010s and 12.6 in 2020-2024.

Number of mentions of the Royal Oak in Europa Star, 1972–2024

Source: archives Europa Star

The Royal Oak appeared in Europa Star’s columns the same year it launched, in 1972. Contrary to popular belief, it was presented not as the first luxury sports watch but as an expression (among others) of early 1970s design, when bold steel cases and bracelets were all the rage.

©Archives Europa Star 1972

©Archives Europa Star 1972

By 1977 it had become the symbol of luxury watchmaking. Advertisements showed Royal Oaks made from gold, for a “masculine elite”.

©Archives Europa Star 1977

©Archives Europa Star 1977

©Archives Europa Star 1977

©Archives Europa Star 1979

The 1980s saw the launch of complications, including perpetual calendars and moon phases. A gem-set version was introduced in 1986.

©Archives Europa Star 1984

©Archives Europa Star 1985

©Archives Europa Star 1986

The message remained one of elitism and belonging to an exclusive social group.

©Archives Europa Star 1981

Audemars Piguet rolled out a massive advertising campaign for the Royal Oak’s twentieth anniversary in 1992 that emphasised its groundbreaking design and presented the Royal Oak as the first luxury sports watch.

©Archives Europa Star 1992

©Archives Europa Star 1992

©Archives Europa Star 1993

Adverts in the 1990s portrayed the Royal Oak as a revolutionary watch, with a narrative that directly contributed to elevating the model to iconic status.

©Archives Europa Star 1994

©Archives Europa Star 1994

©Archives Europa Star 1995

©Archives Europa Star 1996

Whereas early models’ muscular design had made them a symbol of masculinity, women’s versions were given greater prominence in a drive to target the Royal Oak at women as well as men.

©Archives Europa Star 1997

©Archives Europa Star 2000

©Archives Europa Star 2004

The collaboration with Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2000 foreshadowed the arrival of large models with an innovative design couched in new materials.

The icon has moved with the times. Its entire history is contained in the name alone, allowing designers to take liberties with the original style – much like John Galliano paying tribute to Christian Dior with his outlandish creations.

©Archives Europa Star 2000

©Archives Europa Star 2003

©Archives Europa Star 2008

©Archives Europa Star 2011

©Archives Europa Star 2015

This rapid review of the life of an iconic product through Europa Star’s archives highlights an important aspect of these products’ existence, namely that they and their narrative evolve over time.

In the case of the Royal Oak, this can be divided into three successive phases: the launch of a new model (1970s and 1980s); a narrative focused on the product’s exceptional nature (1990s); expansion through new interpretations (since 2000).

Comparison with other iconic products and consultation of complementary sources can further develop the avenues of thought set out here.