Watchmaking companies have a peculiarity when compared to other businesses: many of the household names in watchmaking have a history that stretches back decades or even centuries. This wealth of history and heritage plays an important part in shaping the modern perception of the brand: the longer the heritage, the higher the prestige and, generally speaking, the more evolved and refined the aesthetic and technical canons (the famous “identity”) of the brand.

This interaction helps to understand why watchmaking brands, especially starting from the late 1980s/early 1990s, are used to celebrating important milestones with incredibly attractive and, usually, equally rare timepieces, as exemplified by the present lot.

As proudly stated on the dial, this perpetual calendar Royal Oak celebrates the 120th anniversary (1875-1995) of the company and as expected Audemars Piguet created something that goes beyond special for this commemoration. The full rose gold case is already impressive beyond words, conveying a sense of warmth, gravitas, and refined opulence. The dial compounds to this effect thanks to its ineffable two-tone salmon finish: the main surface presents a matte finish, but the subsidiary counter feature instead a metallic finish, granting movement and flair to the ensemble. The attention to details found on Audemars Piguet perpetual calendar dials is astounding. Most notably, the present dial features a strongly tri-dimensional architecture, with recessed subsidiary dials. In fact, the month/leap year cycle dial features a double recess in order to put on two physically different plains the bissextile cycle and the month indication.

A reminder that we are in the presence of an anniversary piece is subtly hidden into the movement as well as being openly declared on the dial. The calibre features a gold-rimmed, hand-engraved, skeletonized rotor, whose curvy design might appear abstract at first glance, but in a matter of seconds one realises it represents in fact the number of years celebrated: 120, the same as the total number of pieces produced.

The present example is offered in exceptionally well preserved condition. It was originally sold in 1995 in the United States.