Important Watches: Part II
Important Watches: Part II
‘D-Series’ Royal Oak, Ref. 5402ST Stainless steel wristwatch with date and bracelet Circa 1978
Lot Closed
November 11, 12:12 PM GMT
Estimate
40,000 - 60,000 CHF
Lot Details
Description
Audemars Piguet
‘D-Series’ Royal Oak, Ref. 5402ST
Stainless steel wristwatch with date and bracelet
Circa 1978
Dial: anthracite tapisserie
Calibre: cal. 2121/1 automatic, 36 jewels
Movement number: 211’542
Case: stainless steel, back secured by 8 screws
Case number: D 1134 / B 28’921
Closure: stainless steel Audemars Piguet bracelet and folding clasp
Dimensions: 39 mm, bracelet circumference approx. 185 mm
Signed: case, dial and movement
Box: no
Papers: no
Accessories: Audemars Piguet pouch
Developed during the quartz crisis which strongly hit the Swiss watch industry in the late 1960s and beginning of the 1970s, the Royal Oak revolutionized the industry and created a new category: 'stainless steel sports watches'. The novelty, designed by Gérald Genta, coincided with the tendency for less ostentatious watches as the focus had shifted towards understatement and quality. The Royal Oak was an all-purpose watch that was the perfect fit for different occasions, ranging from daily use to formal occasions.
Inspired, perhaps erroneously, by the look of a diving-suit helmet, the monobloc case along with the octagonal bezel and integrated bracelet, create an aesthetically appealing design that makes this watch such an emblematic model which is sought after by collectors everywhere.
The reference 5402 can be divided into four series, distinguished by the letters A, B, C and D in front of the case numbers.