Audemars Piguet - The New York Watch Auction: NINE New York Saturday, December 9, 2023 | Phillips

Create your first list.

Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.

  • Manufacturer: Audemars Piguet
    Year: 1976
    Reference No: 5402ST
    Case No: B1910
    Model Name: Royal Oak “B Series”
    Material: Stainless steel
    Calibre: Automatic, cal. 2121, 36 jewels
    Bracelet/Strap: Stainless steel Audemars Piguet bracelet, max overall length 190m
    Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel Audemars Piguet deployant clasp
    Dimensions: 39mm Diameter
    Signed: Case, dial, movement, and clasp signed
    Accessories: Accompanied by an Audemars Piguet Certificate of Authenticity confirming date of sale July 9, 1976.

  • Catalogue Essay

    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. Today the Royal Oak is a legend, accounting for over 70 percent of the brand’s sales. The brand sought famed designer Gérald 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 a tapisserie motif. The watch became known among collectors as the “Jumbo” due to the 39mm diameter case, which at the time was considered large compared to standard gentlemen’s dress watches, most of which measured between 33 and 35 mm in diameter.

    The Royal Oak model reference 5402 has been produced in four different batches: A, B, C, and D with small design details that made each subtly different. Presented in excellent condition, the present "B series" Royal Oak is a rare and extremely sought-after early example. The dial is preserved in excellent condition, with the AP logo at six o'clock as correctly found on any A and B Series.

    The present Royal Oak is beautifully preserved and accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity confirming the original sale date as July 9, 1976. The Royal Oak is an icon within the world of horology. It’s history as the first modern luxury sports watch, along with its timeless aesthetic, makes it a superb choice for any connoisseur.

  • 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.

    View More Works

126

Ref. 5402ST
An attractive and well-preserved stainless steel “B-Series” wristwatch with date, bracelet, and Certificate of Authenticity

1976
39mm Diameter
Case, dial, movement, and clasp signed

Estimate
$45,000 - 90,000 
CHF40,500-81,100
€42,100-84,200
HK$351,000-703,000
S$61,200-122,000

Sold for $82,550

Contact Specialist

Paul Boutros
Deputy Chairman and 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: NINE

New York Auction 9 - 10 December 2023