Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 'Military' Dial

Smaller watches are back with a vengeance. Well, actually… they never left! The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Reference 14790ST is a compact iteration of their signature sports watch featuring a tidy 36mm case with its distinguishable octagonal silhouette, exposed bezel screws and characteristic integrated steel bracelet. This particular execution also happens to feature a ‘Military’ dial, which made its appearance in the 1990s, giving the entire package a stark and utilitarian feel. The case features a brushed finish with polished facets and screws, as well as a signed screw-down crown, a flat crystal and a tapered multi-link integrated steel bracelet with a signed deployant clasp — all pretty standard kit for a Royal Oak. The dial however, is not standard. The gloss black affair features a set of printed blocky ‘Arabic’ marker indices, a ‘sword’ handset and an arrow-tipped center seconds hand giving what typically is a luxurious looking timepiece a decidedly rugged aesthetic that has earned the nickname 'Military'.  Packed with the Audemars Piguet Calibre 2225 self-winding movement equipped with 36 jewels and 40 hours of power reserve, this piece is a killer everyday stainless steel sports watch from the Big Three that happens to be a bit left-of-center from most Royal Oaks. Grail-worthy? We say yes!