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Lot Essay
Offered in excellent condition, the present watch is one of only a handful of the extremely rare and hard to find stainless steel Royal Oak perpetual calendar reference 25820ST. Of high appeal, the present timepiece exemplifies itself through its excellent overall condition and highly unusual dial colour, providing it with a unique characteristic and personality. The present radiant blue version however is an exceedingly rare variant, nicknamed the 'Klein' Dial.
The Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar combines two of the great icons of Audemars Piguet’s heritage, the Royal Oak model and the perpetual calendar complication. Produced in very small numbers in stainless steel, reference 25820ST features a 'Sapphire Blue' dial with ‘Petite Tapisserie’ pattern. Audemars Piguet has always been associated with the making of complicated watches of the highest possible grade. At the same time the company has historically striven to be the leader in the production of the world’s thinnest watches with some notable milestones along the way - the movement is the exceptional caliber 2120 which has the distinction of being the thinnest automatic movement in the world with a full rotor. The rotor itself is decorated with hand-engraved detailing.
Introduced in 1972, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak was designed by Gérald Genta. Featuring an octagonal screwed bezel initially inspired by a ship's porthole, it is without a doubt one of the most iconic wristwatch designs of the 20th century. Not only it is the basis of the brand’s success up to the present day, it also was the forerunner of other iconic watches like the Patek Philippe Nautilus, also being based on similar design principles by Gérald Genta. The name ‘Royal Oak’ was chosen based on the story of King Charles II of England’s escape from the Roundheads - the supporters of the Parliament during the English Civil War - following the Battle of Worcester in 1651 when the king hid in an oak tree – the Boscobel Oak, to evade capture. Allying dominant design and ground-breaking materials, the timepieces of the Royal Oak collection are amongst the most coveted watches ever, enjoying a continuously expanding and ongoing popularity.
The Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar combines two of the great icons of Audemars Piguet’s heritage, the Royal Oak model and the perpetual calendar complication. Produced in very small numbers in stainless steel, reference 25820ST features a 'Sapphire Blue' dial with ‘Petite Tapisserie’ pattern. Audemars Piguet has always been associated with the making of complicated watches of the highest possible grade. At the same time the company has historically striven to be the leader in the production of the world’s thinnest watches with some notable milestones along the way - the movement is the exceptional caliber 2120 which has the distinction of being the thinnest automatic movement in the world with a full rotor. The rotor itself is decorated with hand-engraved detailing.
Introduced in 1972, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak was designed by Gérald Genta. Featuring an octagonal screwed bezel initially inspired by a ship's porthole, it is without a doubt one of the most iconic wristwatch designs of the 20th century. Not only it is the basis of the brand’s success up to the present day, it also was the forerunner of other iconic watches like the Patek Philippe Nautilus, also being based on similar design principles by Gérald Genta. The name ‘Royal Oak’ was chosen based on the story of King Charles II of England’s escape from the Roundheads - the supporters of the Parliament during the English Civil War - following the Battle of Worcester in 1651 when the king hid in an oak tree – the Boscobel Oak, to evade capture. Allying dominant design and ground-breaking materials, the timepieces of the Royal Oak collection are amongst the most coveted watches ever, enjoying a continuously expanding and ongoing popularity.