Audemars Piguet - The Beauty in Everything: Single Owner Online Auction Hong Kong Tuesday, November 29, 2022 | Phillips

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  • Manufacturer: Audemars Piguet
    Year: 1986
    Reference No: 56023AC
    Movement No: 262’278
    Case No: B92’407, No. 93
    Model Name: Royal Oak Quartz
    Material: 18K yellow gold and white gold
    Calibre: Quartz, cal. 2506, 10 jewels
    Bracelet/Strap: 18K yellow gold and white gold Audemars Piguet bracelet, max length 175mm
    Clasp/Buckle: 18K white gold Audemars Piguet deployant clasp
    Dimensions: 35mm diameter
    Signed: Case, dial, movement, bracelet and clasp signed
    Accessories: Accompanied by Audemars Piguet fitted presentation box and outer packaging.

  • Catalogue Essay

    A weird and wonderful take on two-tone that I am surprised has never been resurrected. The body is mostly yellow gold and the accents are in white gold. I love that it's a 36mm quartz as it retains the distinctive sleek proportions of the original Royal Oak 5402. Smaller diameter mechanical movement Royal Oaks are unable to maintain the same proportions as the vintage original due to the thickness of their movements relative to diameter. - Mark Cho


    To the new owners of the watches in the sale: The Armoury will custom-make the winner one of The Armoury’s signature garments as a gift. For further details please visit the link below.

    More Details: https://www.thearmoury.com/the-beauty-in-everything-gifts


    - Created in 1972, Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak was the punk kid on the block that revolutionised the watchmaking industry with a refreshing brand-new category of luxury sports models. Though the temptation to introduce quartz into the Royal Oak line was great, it took the Swiss giant another 8 years before they dipped their toes in the water and launched an inaugural series of ladies’ Royal Oak Quartz in 1980.

    - The first generations of Royal Oak quartz watches made up a significant part of Audemars Piguet production during the 80s. Over the span of a decade, at least 59 models were realised, powered by six different movements including calibers 2502, 2505, 2506, 2508, ultra-thin 2610 and 2711. This quartz boom met great demand from markets keen on novelty and by 1986, it accounted for almost half of its overall production which began to stabilize from 1987 onwards, with proportions decreasing regularly until only 20% of watches were quartz driven 10 years later.

    - The present Royal Oak Quartz is an exceedingly rare variant, armoured in an inverted white gold and yellow gold livery, powered by the cal. 2506. Unlike standard issues, this piece is fitted with a white gold bezel, contrasted by a yellow gold case with a matching integrated bracelet with white gold links. Sporting a tone-on-tone tapisserie dial, the golden backdrop is layered with the desired features of a first series dial, featuring distinct lume-filled baton hands and hour markers, further delivered with a flat Audemars Piguet signature.

    - Confirmed by the Heritage Department of Audemars Piguet, the current ref. 56023AC is the 93rd example of this configuration and was subsequently delivered to Paraguay in 1986, when the Royal Oak quartz fever reached an all-time high.

  • Artist Biography

    Audemars Piguet

    Swiss • 1881

    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.

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8019

Ref. 56023AC
An exceedingly rare and attractive two-tone yellow gold and white gold quartz wristwatch with center seconds, date, bracelet and presentation box

1986
35mm diameter
Case, dial, movement, bracelet and clasp signed

Estimate
HK$100,000 - 150,000 
€12,400-18,600
$12,800-19,200

Sold for HK$201,600

Contact Specialist

Thomas Perazzi
Head of Watches, Asia
+852 2318 2001
WatchesHK@phillips.com

The Beauty in Everything: Single Owner Online Auction

Online Auction 30 November - 6 December 2022