Review By: Amy Moolten

While the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 15154BC.ZZ.D004CU.01 Men’s watch offers a pleasant color palette and superior quality diamonds, the awkwardly rigid bezel and octagonal face gives off a depressingly stark, modern art vibe that renders me too uncomfortable to part with the $100,000 necessary in order to make the purchase. For nearly half the investment, you can investigate a similarly blingy Hublot King Power Unico 701.OX.0180.RX.1104 with a slightly warmer feel. In any case, with a six-figure price tag, I recommend taking the time to truly do your homework for diamond comparables between $50,000 – $100,000+ before settling on this watch. If you do decide to cash it all in and splurge on this baby, you may be able to knock nearly $25,000 off if you shop around online which may softens the fiscal blow if you are on the fence for financial reasons.

While the Audemars Piguet name offers prestige and a guarantee of high quality inner workings, I find this watch overpriced in light of the number of significantly less expensive high-end diamond comparables. Personally, I would never pay six figures for a watch. I would prefer to invest such a sum in a new summer home down payment or a couple of high-end sports cars. Thus, I would be far more likely to bet on a mid-range Cartier in a more conscionable price range which displays excessive diamonds tastefully and offers warm palettes that compensate for obvious extravagance.

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 15154BC.ZZ.D004CU.01 features include:

• 18kt white gold case with a black leather bracelet.
• Pave diamond set case & bezel.
• Black dial with diamond filled hands and diamond-filled, white-gold index hour markers.
• Automatic movement.
• Scratch resistant sapphire crystal.
• Water resistance to 50 meters / 165 feet.
• Wesselton Diamond Quality.

As you can see, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 15154BC.ZZ.D004CU.01 Men’s watch includes fairly standard features for a watch within this price range or any other above the $50,000 mark. As you would expect, all of the external components and inner workings are made from high quality materials and as a middle-of-the-road ocean diver, you may be impressed with the three-figure depth, water-resistance support which is uncharacteristic of many high-end watches in this price range. Be warned: You may draw in sharks with this extensive diamond-bling glare!

In spite of the materials, I find this watch overpriced and aesthetically awkward. Before opening your wallet to dole out 100k, at least take a look at some half-priced comparables from Cartier. While I am a high-end cheapskate when it comes to watches (hovering in my purchases among the three to four figure ranges: generally in the Gucci family), as a zealot for fashion research, I can affirm with the utmost confidence that you can make a more price-wise purchase without sacrificing quality, diamond appeal, or high-end bragging rights. If you feel strongly that this is the watch for you, then at least be sure to get a great discount from an online seller. Otherwise, do some more homework to find yourself a better deal.