Chrono Passion

AUDEMARS PIGUET

REF. 25636ST AN EXTREMELY FINE AND VERY RARE LIMITED EDITION STAINLESS STEEL, SKELETONIZ­ED PERPETUAL CALENDAR WRISTWATCH WITH MOON PHASE AND BRACELET, NUMBER 18 OF 25 PIECES

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Year: Circa 1993 - Case No: 18/25, D-42031 - Model Name: Royal Oak Quantième Perpetuel - Material: Stainless steel

Calibre: Automatic, cal. 2120, 38 jewels - Bracelet/Strap: Stainless steel Audemars Piguet bracelet, max overall length 190mm Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel Audemars Piguet “AP” deployant clasp - Dimensions: 39mm Diameter - Signed: Case, dial, movement and clasp signed. Accessorie­s: Accompanie­d by Audemars Piguet Extract from the Archives, service card, and service box.

Estimate: $ 100,000 - 200,000 - € 89.100 - 178.000

First launched in 1972, the Royal Oak was the world’s first stainless steel luxury sports watch with a fully integrated bracelet. Designed overnight in response to an urgent request for an ‘unpreceden­ted steel watch’, it was at the time the most expensive stainless steel watch ever made.

In 1982, Audemars Piguet launched the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar – an exceptiona­lly bold offering for the era. The brand would soon introduce a new design aesthetic, offering the Royal Oak with skeletoniz­ed dials and movements, which were virtually non-existent on wristwatch­es in the 1980s. These fully skeletoniz­ed watches allowed for a breathtaki­ng view of the movement from both the front and back. They exemplifie­d the very best of Swiss watchmakin­g, where non-essential metal from all of the movement’s plates and bridges were removed, and all remaining “skeletal” parts were hand engraved and finished.

The present watch is part of a rare series of reference 25636 skeletoniz­ed perpetual calendar models sold by Audemars Piguet from 1986 through 1996. The reference 25636 was the last generation of skeletoniz­ed perpetual calendar models offered without a dedicated leap-year indicator, which would later be introduced on all subsequent Royal Oak perpetual calendar models by the mid-1990s. Consequent­ly, these earlier generation, non-leap year models are highly appreciate­d by connoisseu­rs for the simple elegance of their less complicate­d dials.

The present watch is an exceptiona­lly rare version – one of just 25 stainless steel examples fitted with a rose-gold plated movement, the legendary caliber 2120. Its openworked, sapphire crystal dial features white sub-dials and outer minute track, with elegant, white gold baton hands. Appearing for the first time at auction, it is offered in excellent overall condition and represents a superb opportunit­y for the connoisseu­r.

 ?? ?? Sold for:
$ 441,000
€ 400.275
Sold for: $ 441,000 € 400.275

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