Manufacturer: Audemars Piguet Year: Circa 1986 Reference No: 25554BA Movement No: 274'253 Case No: C16530 Model Name: Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Material: 18K yellow gold Calibre: Automatic, cal. 2120/4, 38 jewels Bracelet/Strap: 18K yellow gold Audemars Piguet bracelet, max length 180mm Clasp/Buckle: 18K yellow gold Audemars Piguet deployant clasp Dimensions: 39mm Diameter Signed: Case, dial, movement and bracelet signed
Catalogue Essay
First introduced as a time-only luxury sports watch in steel with an integrated bracelet in 1972, the ingenious design was by the great and late Gerald Genta. An unusual release at the time, doubly so for its release during the peak of the quartz crisis, it commanded a higher price than a gold watch. However, the firm’s vision behind Genta’s ingenuity would prevail, becoming the true pioneers behind the boom of the luxury sports wristwatch.
The Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar was launched in 1984. The forward-thinking approach from the Managing Director of Audemars Piguet at the time, George 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 very first of these produced in series was the reference 25554 like the present lot and was made only in scarce quantities: an estimated 279 examples across all metals including yellow gold, stainless steel, and platinum.
One of the earlier examples produced with case number C16 serial it features all the subtle details collectors have come to love such as the three gold dotted indexes at 3, 9 and 12 o’clock and its small signature under the moon phase.
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.