Important Watches: Part II
Important Watches: Part II
'A-series Jumbo' Royal Oak, Ref. 5402 Stainless steel wristwatch with date and bracelet Circa 1973
Lot Closed
May 11, 01:39 PM GMT
Estimate
60,000 - 80,000 CHF
Lot Details
Description
Audemars Piguet
'A-series Jumbo' Royal Oak, Ref. 5402
Stainless steel wristwatch with date and bracelet
Circa 1973
Dial: anthracite tapisserie
Calibre: cal. 2121/1 automatic, 36 jewels
Movement number: 146'440
Case: stainless steel, back secured by 8 screws
Case number: A 1739, 80'739
Closure: stainless steel Audemars Piguet bracelet and folding clasp
Dimensions: 39 mm, bracelet circumference approx. 180 mm
Signed: case, dial and movement
Box: no
Papers: no
Accessories: Audemars Piguet travel 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 revolutionised 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.