Signed Audemars Piguet, Automatic, Royal Oak, No. A 667, ref. 5402ST, movement no. 127’789, case no. 67’667, circa 1972

The property of a British private collector, the present timepiece is one of the most iconic sports watch ever created. Designed overnight in 1972 by the widely acclaimed Gerald Genta, and later qualified as the masterpiece of his career, the Royal Oak secured an astute audience and became throughout the years the emblem of the Audemars Piguet manufacture. A game-changer for the luxury watch industry, the stainless steel Royal Oak was priced at 3,650 CHF, above many gold watches due mainly to its complex case structure and a handmade bracelet with links of decreasing size. Following the success of the “A Series”, the manufacture progressed and offered the “B” series, “C” series and so on.

Part of the first 1000 “A-series” Royal Oaks ever created, the present wristwatch is numbered “A 667”, denoting it was the 667th to be made. Numbered from A 001 to A 2000, timepieces with an individual number between A 100 and A 1000 usually incorporate the last three numbers indicated on the case back within the serial inscribed inside the case and preceded with the number 67. Correctly engraved 67’667, the present example furthermore features an original and magnificent “A Series” dial, with the AP logo correctly placed between the 9th and 11th line, calculated from the bottom part of the dial, and the correct “Swiss” script stamped below the 6 o’clock index. Also featuring the correct crown and date wheel, the timepiece can be considered a highly attractive, honest and increasingly rare example of the reference.