Audemars Piguet - The New York Watch Auction: SIX New York Saturday, June 11, 2022 | Phillips

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  • Manufacturer: Audemars Piguet
    Year: 1999
    Reference No: 25770SN
    Movement No: 481’437
    Case No: No. 248, D91821
    Model Name: Royal Oak Offshore “End of Days”
    Material: PVD-coated stainless steel
    Calibre: Automatic, cal. 2226/2840, 54 jewels
    Bracelet/Strap: Crocodile
    Clasp/Buckle: PVD-coated stainless steel AP deployant clasp
    Dimensions: 42mm Diameter
    Signed: Case, dial, movement, and clasp signed.
    Accessories: Accompanied by Audemars Piguet Certificate of Origin, green presentation box, Borden & Rosenbush Entertainment provenance letter dated November 17, 2010, further provenance documentation, additional AP strap with buckle, and outer packaging.

  • Catalogue Essay

    Phillips is honored to offer this historically important Audemars Piguet prototype chronograph wristwatch worn in the Arnold Schwarzenegger thriller “End of Days” (1999). The Royal Oak and Royal Oak Offshore are iconic timepieces recognized for their modern design and their enduring legacy in the horological world.
    The present lot was worn by Arnold Schwarzenegger during the filming of “End of Days”, and it is reported he told Audemars Piguet “I want the watch to have a black case and yellow numerals and hands”. The result was the current prototype No. 248, as well as a second timepiece No. 249, both of which are noted in the AP archives as “Destination Schwarzenegger 25 September 1998”. Following completion of the filming, Schwarzenegger presented the watch to Bill Borden, producer of the movie, and the lot is accompanied by a letter signed by Borden dated November 17, 2010 documenting this history of the chronograph.

    The present prototype wristwatch differs from the later, limited edition production “End of Days” model, with non-luminous hour markers that are a more vivid yellow, and a simpler caseback lacking the “Serie Limitée” and edition number engravings. It is furthermore preserved in exceptional condition with hardly any signs of wear.

    From the flow of sand in an hourglass, to the chiming of a town clock on a foggy evening, timepieces have long symbolized the passage of time, or used to set an atmospheric tone in the arts and literature. While “momento mori” (remember you must die) has been used as iconography for millennium, in the mid-20th century, wristwatches began to be featured in movies, and not solely for symbolism, but as an accessory with a role in the film.

    James Bond in “Live and Let Die” wore a Rolex Submariner 5513 enhanced by Q with a magnetic force to deflect bullets and a buzzsaw used to cut rope as a means to escape. In “Apollo 13”, Omega’s Speedmaster Professional chronograph played an integral role, as it did in 1970 during the real life mission to rescue a team stranded in space. By the 1990s awareness of a wristwatch in movies was more commonplace, and in 1999 Arnold Schwarzenegger’s character Jericho Cane in “End of Days” wore an Audemars Piguet PVD coated stainless steel chronograph wristwatch with date.

    The now named “End of Days” Royal Oak chronograph was important both for the brand and the history of horology as it was the first time a leading actor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, worked closely with a brand to design a watch made for the production. The close relationship between Schwarzenegger and Audemars Piguet, allowed for the production of the first ever limited edition Royal Oak Offshore model following the movie, and created new opportunities for the brand to work with other celebrities such as Shaquille O’Neal and LeBron James.

    Launched in 1972, the Royal Oak was the world’s first stainless steel luxury sports watch with a fully integrated bracelet. Designed overnight in response to an urgent request for an ‘unprecedented steel watch’, it was at the same time the most expensive stainless steel watch ever made. The brand sought famed designer Gerald Genta, who developed a brilliantly engineered, monobloc case, with a distinctively maritime feel, featuring an octagonal bezel secured by eight hexagonal, white gold screws, and a dial with tapisserie motif.

    In 1992 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Royal Oak model, Audemars Piguet introduced the Royal Oak Offshore line. The brand sought to update the iconic Royal Oak with a sporty, more masculine aesthetic. Designer Emmanuel Gueit updated the model with a larger version in hopes of attracting a younger, more recreational buyer. Gueit retained the Royal Oak classic design, but the original’s 39mm case diameter was enlarged to a 42mm diameter case. The new Offshore featured a chronograph and calendar mechanism, along with a prominent rubber gasket sandwiched between the bezel and case, and therban – a type of rubber - coated chronograph pushers and screw down crown.
    While the movie “End of Days” may not have been a critical success, it was a favourite with viewers, and for Audemars Piguet, it allowed them to offer a limited edition of 500 “End of Days” Offshore timepieces. This also provided the opportunity to work with others, and create a number of limited edition Offshore wristwatches, which today are highly sought after by collectors. This is a unique opportunity to own a prototype wristwatch that has left an indelible mark in the history of 20th and 21st century horology.

  • 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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Ref. 25770SN
An extremely rare and historically important prototype PVD-coated stainless steel automatic chronograph wristwatch with date, accompanied by Certificate of Origin, provenance letter and documents with presentation box

1999
42mm Diameter
Case, dial, movement, and clasp signed.

Estimate
$25,000 - 50,000 
CHF24,900-49,800
€24,000-48,000
HK$196,000-392,000
S$34,900-69,800

Sold for $94,500

Contact Specialist

Paul Boutros

Head of Watches, Americas

+1 (212) 940-1293

WatchesNY@Phillips.com

 

Isabella Proia

Head of Sale, New York

+1 (212) 940 1285

iproia@phillips.com

The New York Watch Auction: SIX

New York Auction 11-12 June 2022