Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph “City of Sails – Be Happy”

Audemars Piguet stands among the most authoritative names in Swiss haute horlogerie, and the Royal Oak—introduced in 1972—remains a cornerstone of contemporary watch design. With the return of the Royal Oak Chronograph at the end of the 1990s, the manufacture reinstated a pure sports-chronograph expression within the classic Royal Oak codes, preserving the model’s refined proportions and everyday wearability.

The present watch, reference 25860IS, belongs to one of the most sought-after special editions of the era: the “City of Sails – Be Happy”, produced in 2000 in a strictly limited run of 300 pieces. It was created to mark the inaugural Swiss Challenge at the America’s Cup in Auckland, New Zealand—hence the engraved caseback “City of Sails”, Auckland’s globally recognized nickname rooted in its maritime heritage. The nautical narrative continues on the dial, where an intense blue “tapisserie” ground is paired with vivid yellow hands and hour markers, a high-contrast, instantly recognizable configuration that was never carried forward into regular production.

Executed in titanium for both case and bracelet—still an uncommon choice for top-tier luxury sports watches at the time—this Royal Oak combines lightness and durability with the signature contrast of satin-brushed and polished finishing across the octagonal bezel and exposed screws. Powering the chronograph is the automatic calibre 2385, derived from the celebrated F. Piguet 1185 and respected for its thin architecture and proven reliability; its adoption by maisons such as Vacheron Constantin and Breguet for their flagship sports chronographs underscores its technical standing. Offered with an Audemars Piguet Extract from the Archives, this example pairs verifiable provenance with genuine rarity, placing it firmly in the category of modern Royal Oaks that collectors increasingly pursue for their unrepeatable identity, defined historical context, and enduring market appeal.