Watch of the Week: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Mini Quartz in Black Onyx
With its mirror-polished onyx dial and svelte 23mm case, the new Royal Oak Mini blurs the boundary between horology and high jewellery — a quartz-powered statement that speaks softly, yet commands attention.
- Words By Scarlett Baker
In a world where quartz often occupies the periphery of watchmaking, the new Audemars Piguet Mini boldly challenges the notion that smaller, battery-powered watches are somehow “lesser” than their mechanical counterparts. As the Swiss manufacturer celebrates its 151st year – proving that post-anniversary adjustment is never a cap on creativity – this 23mm model emerges as one of the understated stars amid a flurry of exciting 2026 novelties.
The latest edition in the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Mini ensemble, this black onyx offering puts truth in the testimony that small things are, in fact, mighty. And this isn’t merely a nod to the industry’s recent obsession with shrinking case diameters, either. Long before reduced millimetres became a thoroughly modern mantra, Audemars Piguet had already asserted its authority in the realm of refined proportions.
The 23 mm case in 18-carat pink gold features a glareproofed sapphire crystal. The timepiece is water resistant to 50 m.
In 1997, the brand unveiled the Mini Royal Oak, a distilled expression of its hallmark collection and, at the time, the smallest Royal Oak ever produced, quietly staking its claim to petite watchmaking decades before the trend – that’s not yet reached its zenith – took over today. The renaissance of scaling-down was ignited by the watchmaker again in 2024, with a triage of frosted gold models in 23mm that garnered affection on the wrists of Simone Biles, Serena Williams, Raye, the Biebers, and Drake.
“Shrink it” was long the industry’s answer to women’s watch design: reduce the case and call it done. But here, scale is reclaimed. These millimetres aren’t reductive or an afterthought, but purposeful, and as these powerhouse figures can attest to, are even more impactful when worn in multiples, mastering the sweet spot in deepening the language between jewellery and watchmaking, where proportions, coming in at 23mm aren’t a concession, but a stylistic choice.
Such is the case for this new edition that approaches the next chapter in the Mini Royal Oak’s trajectory, replacing 2024’s iterations with a petite tapisseries pattern for a stone dial that packs a punch. A mirror-polished black onyx dial, renowned for its properties in strength and stability, conjures a deep inky-hue that creates a liquid texture on the wrist.
The Royal Oak Mini was crafted as a quartz entity from its genesis, and the watchmaker stays true to this heritage here, with a calibre that will keep you ticking for over seven years. But if you’re accustomed to midweek interchangeability, or embracing moments of respite, Audemars Piguet has you covered with a switch function that allows you to deactivate the battery when it's not in use. A ‘Do Not Disturb’ if you will.
The black onyx dial is complemented by 18-carat pink gold hands, brilliant-cut diamond hour-markers and a pink gold-toned inner bezel.
Delicate in presence, with a slender case thickness of 6.6mm, the svelte quartz movement provides wearability and a reduced profile in comparison to a stockier automatic or mechanical movement, given their number of parts. But this model is by no means quiet, with a striking contrast that’s conjured between 18-karat pink gold and matching integrated bracelet. Echoing the Royal Oak’s signature finishing – polished and satin-finished – it toys with the light, while a bold frosting of brilliant-cut diamond markers decorate the dial at each hour.
The incorporation of diamonds are intentional too, not just following suit of past stereotypes that diamonds are a girl's best friend. Of course they are, but they speak to a wider narrative of a watches role: as something to embellish the body, like a jewel, just as much a promise of reliability.
While its predecessor, the 1997 Mini, might’ve been marketed towards more slender wrists (typically women), today the outlook is different. It’s a certified ticker for all, but if it is going to be targeted towards the sisterhood, then it’s an outcome we’re happy with. Why? Because its diminutive proportions defy the assumption that size dictates presence or intention. Indeed, in a world increasingly fascinated with oversized statements, the restrained 23mm onyx model asserts that quiet confidence is often the most persuasive form of expression.
The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Mini Quartz in Black Onyx is priced at £36,300 and available at audemarspiguet.com
