Manufacturer: Audemars Piguet Year: 2003 Reference No: 14840BC Movement No: 491'369 Case No: E-35098, 127 Model Name: Royal Oak Material: White gold, emerald, diamond Calibre: Automatic, cal. 2225, 36 jewels Bracelet/Strap: 18K white gold Audemars Piguet bracelet stamped "L" to the endlinks, max length 180mm Clasp/Buckle: 18K white gold Audemars Piguet deployant clasp Dimensions: 36mm Diameter Signed: Case, dial, movement and clasp signed Accessories: Accompanied by Audemars Piguet Extract from the Archives confirming production of the present watch on April 30, 2003.
Catalogue Essay
Toward the end of last century, watchmaking underwent a substantial stylistic evolution: after the quartz crisis of the 1970s and the first tentative recovery of the 1980s, the entire field began to rediscover and partly reinvent itself in light of the newfound market interest - which was a fraction of today’s, but still radically better than what the scenario looked like for some companies just 10 or 15 years prior.
Bejewelled sports timepieces are a sign of this new trend. Earlier on, bejewelled timepieces were usually lady’s creations intended to be used at gala or formal occasions (some incredibly experimental timepieces were produced in the 1970s within this category); gem-set sport’s watches were hardly ever produced (and when produced, usually on demand with miniature series or piece unique). In the 1990s, companies begun to offer small production series of pieces that blended together the carefree and utilitarian spirit of the sport’s watch with the ethereal luxury of a bejewelled timepiece. Not only this new hybrid was virtually unknown, but it furthermore helped to increase the interest of the male segment of the market: now a diamond-set wristwatch could be as sporty and masculine as any timepiece, just with some added flair.
The present superb creation is an example of such trend. Realised in the late 1990s and early 2000s, reference 14840 is known in different metals and different gem-setting both to the dial and the bezel. The present iteration is one of the most striking one: the coolness of the white gold case and bracelet is reprised and amplified by the 24 baguette-cut diamond in the bezel, and then by the pave’ set bezel. In the middle of this explosion of dazzling white, the discrete emerald-set numerals shine like coloured spark in a fireworks display. A truly mesmerising creation that can be enjoyed by the most discerning connoisseurs for its rarity and execution, as well as by the most novice collectors for its unbridled beauty.
A 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.