Launched in 1974, reference 6001 was available in stainless steel, yellow gold or white gold. It was the first watch Audemars Piguet ever produced with a quartz movement. Faithful to its values of offering the most accurate watches to their clients, the brand used the caliber 2510, the most accurate caliber of the time with a maximum of 1 second difference per month. A simple pressure on the pusher added next to the crown would correct the seconds’ hand. Featuring a very similar design as the Royal Oak, this watch is the true descendant of the famous Gerald Genta design. Preserved in fantastic condition, the present watch is an extremely rare example of the first model Audemars Piguet produced with a quartz movement. With a case number engraved 100’001, the present timepiece is the first example of the reference that left the manufacturer in 1974 and it also bears the movement number 153’501. To say nonetheless, the present timepiece is indeed the first wristwatch of the first quartz wristwatch reference produced by the firm.
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.