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Audemars Piguet
Ref. 5554BA
Royal Oak Quantième Perpétuel
A very rare, early, and well-preserved yellow gold perpetual calendar wristwatch with moon phase, bracelet and extract from the archives
Full-Cataloguing
The reference 5554, later renamed in the mid-1980s to 25554, was the first perpetual calendar sports watch by any brand. The forward-thinking approach from the Managing Director of Audemars Piguet at the time, Georges Golay, took the thin workhorse caliber 2120/2800, added an ultra-slim perpetual calendar module, and fitted it into the already slim Royal Oak case, making it one of the world’s thinnest automatic perpetual calendar watches.
The present, very early and rarely seen example from 1985 is in an excellent original state of preservation boasting a crisp case with sharply defined edges, lug bevels, and hallmarks. The dial is also beautifully preserved and features the three gold dotted indices at 3, 9 and 12 o’clock along with a small signature under the moon phase with uniformity of size. Early examples of the reference 5554 and 25554 do not feature a leap year indication, which was not introduced until 1993 with the caliber 2120/2802.
This extremely rare and early yellow gold perpetual calendar Royal Oak is a wonderful example of the now iconic model. Its history as the first modern luxury sports watch, along with its timeless aesthetic, makes it a superb choice for the connoisseur.
Audemars Piguet
Swiss | 1881A specialist in the manufacture of complications since it was established in 1881, Audemars Piguet never ceases to impress with a rich history of creating bold, even audacious, timepieces underpinned by traditional watchmaking at its finest. This Le Brassus-based Swiss manufacturer is one of only two major manufacturers still owned by the founding family. Since its earliest days, AP is considered a leader in the field of minute repeaters and grande complication pocket and wristwatches. The brand is devoted to preserving the history of watchmaking in the Vallée de Joux, showcased at their superb museum in Le Brassus.
Today, the brand is best known for its Royal Oak models, a revolutionary luxury sports watch launched in 1972. Other key models include early minute repeating wristwatches, vintage chronograph wristwatches, such as the oversized reference 5020, perpetual calendar watches and the Royal Oak Offshore, first introduced in 1993.