Audemars Piguet

Debuted in 1972, the Audemars Piguet reference 5402 is nothing short of historical importance. Surely the forefather of iconic bracelet watches, it is a dream for every collector to obtain one of, if not the best bracelet watch ever produced. Upon its release, the Royal Oak was the most expensive stainless steel watch ever, as it cost more to manufacture than their gold dress wristwatches due to the incredible amount of work put into polishing and refinement. With this year being the 50th anniversary of this remarkable reference, looking back it is revolutionary to redefine the concept of luxury sport watches by the Le Brassus manufacturer.

Bearing the nickname “Jumbo”, the case is 39 mm in diameter which is colossal in comparison to the dress watches in the 70s and that is also why it notably got off a slow start in sales. Created by the famous Gerald Genta, the case design is groundbreaking with an octagonal bezel secured by eight visible, hexagonal, white gold screws, replicating that of a deep-sea diving helmet. Not to mention Audemars Piguet’s signature Petite Tapisserie dial that was perfectly executed by a precision metalwork chisel, forming the futuristic, most unprecedented watch across the industry. Even more impressive is that the legendary calibre 2121 was once the thinnest automatic movement with a central rotor and date function, making the watch sit comfortably on the wrist. The significance made Audemars Piguet keep on using the same calibre for nearly 50 years including the recently discontinued successor reference 15202.

Whilst many collectors are eager to own an A-series reference 5402, the production of the B-series is half of the A-series with approximately 1,000 produced, making it the rarest across all series of the reference. Timelessly aesthetic, it is a superb opportunity to acquire the watch that started the domination of steel sport watches until now and many years to come.