42 Audemars Piguet Very Rare and Iconic, Royal Oak, Automatic Wristwatch in Steel, Tapisserie Dial, With Extract from the Archives, Reference 5402ST
Estimate: €40,000 – 80,000
Sold (Premium)€57,200
Model: Royal Oak
Reference: 5402ST
Case Material: Stainless Steel
Bracelet Material: Stainless Steel
Year: 1972
Movement: Automatic
Caliber: 2121
Case N°: A194 - 67 194
Movement N°: 141 841
Dimensions: 39 mm
Signed: Dial, Movement and Case
Accessories: Extract from the Archives
Audemars Piguet’s introduction of the Royal Oak marked the beginning of the luxury sports watch market we know today. Iconic as very few other models have been in the history of horology, it is the umpteenth creation of the immortal designer Gerald Genta. Launched at Baselworld in 1972, it caused an immediate sensation as the watch industry had never seen anything comparable before and represented a real novelty in the Audemars universe as it was the brand’s first true sporting pride. It was the first luxury watch in steel with integrated bracelet in order to offer its customers a precious but at the same time sporty alternative. It most notably housed the extra slim caliber 2121 based on the Jaeger-LeCoultre cal. 920, which would later be found in the Nautilus wristwatch. The very first reference of the Royal Oak was the 5402 and its production spanned 25 years, with a total of around 6,050 examples manufactured, in four different batches: A, B, C and D with small design details that made each slightly different. Within the A-series, approximately 2,000 examples were made between 1972 until 1974. Known as the “A Series”, the present watch is the original Royal Oak model first debuted in 1972. The present example is absolutely remarkable for its conservation: the whole Gay Freres bracelet and clasp are in excellent conditions also stamped with “1.72” on the clasp indicating it is from the first quarter of 1972 and also the back still presents the case number engraved very crisp. The case and the immediately recognizable bezel are still maintaining their original proportions. The guilloché dial with a mini-“tapisserie” pattern — a texture found on all early Royal Oak dials — is still nice and well defined. It is decorated with applied baton indexes and the AP logo at 6, as correct for an A-Series models, while at 3 o’clock is located at the date window. Furthermore, the watch comes with the extract from the archives.