One of the few genuine landmark watches, the Royal Oak by Audemars Piguet is a true classic. This is model 56175SA.
HOW DO WE DATE THIS WATCH?
From sending pictures of the dial and the serial number on the case back we are very grateful that Audemars Piguet themselves have confirmed the watch was sold in Switzerland in 1987.
CONDITION
The Royal Oak was launched in 1972, at the height of the quartz crisis. Watches were getting cheaper and easier to make, so AP launched the all steel, automatic Royal Oak and it cost ten times as much as a Rolex Submariner. On top of that the AP staff lacked the experience to work with steel cases, so the watch should have been a flop. It took two years to sell the first 1,000 production run. But the Gerald Genta design caught on, and this watch and the Offshore offshoot are still the mainstay of the AP range.
This example has the bi metal case and bracelet, steel and 18k gold. These have been professionally refinished to a very high standard, and the bracelet is a good length. Most older Royal Oak watches are 33mm cases, as that was the fashion at the time. This is the 36mm version, and if anything it wears larger. The dial has the typical Tapisserie pattern, and there is an article and video showing how these are made here. The dial is in good condition, with just a very small amount of colour loss near the date aperture. The hands are original, and as this has the AP caliber 2612 quartz movement you also get a seconds hand. The crown is original. The clasp is signed on the inside and outside, and overall this is a great example.
This watch will be supplied with a presentation box and our Certificate of Authenticity.
Please see the HD video for more detail.
SIZE
Width with crown 37.9 mm
Width without crown 35.1 mm
Between lugs n/a
Lug to lug length 44.2 mm
Case Thickness 7.4 mm
Bracelet maximum length 195 mm
All sizes are approximate.
Included with this watch is a 6 month guarantee and free delivery to UK addresses. If you live outside the UK we can still deliver to most countries. Please see our Worldwide Shipping information, or Contact Us
