ROYAL OAK MODEL, REF. 5402BA, CIRCA 1977

Launched in 1972 and designed by the widely acclaimed Gérald Genta, the Royal Oak is without a doubt Audemars Piguet’s most important and iconic wristwatch ever created. A game-changer for the luxury watch industry, the stainless steel version was priced at CHF3,650, above many gold watches due mainly to its complex case structure and a handmade bracelet with links of decreasing sizes. While the majority in the production were in stainless steel, the gold version was believed to be produced from 1977 to the mid of 1980’s.

The present watch, numbered 67, confirmed being sold on the 28 January in 1977 according to the Extrait de Registre from Audemars Piguet is for sure one of the earliest examples in the series. It furthermore features an original early dial, with the applied AP logo to the bottom part of the dial. The most notable characteristic of this 5402 however is the colour of its dial, which, over the course of its 43 years of existence, has aged from grey to a highly attractive tropical tone. The whole dial shows a nearly uniform bronze-gold tone with a little bit of the grey in between the Tapisserie pattern without damaging any of the printing to the signature and the minute tracks. It offers the unique opportunity for International Audemars Piguet collectors to possess such an early and original 5402 with its unique charisma.