Brand
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding Ref. 15400OR
The pride and joy of watch collections around the world, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak is the definitive luxury sport watch. We won't bore you with all the details surrounding its genesis at the hands of Gérald Genta in 1972, but if there's one thing to take away from its origin, it's this: Often imitated, never duplicated, there's nothing quite like a Royal Oak on the wrist. It's even fair to say that the popularity of the Royal Oak – distributed equally among enthusiast circles and the Jet Set – kickstarted the integrated sport watch trend that's taken over 21st century watch design.
The Royal Oak we have here is a solid 18k rose gold example with a white dial executed in the classic "Grande Tapisserie" pattern for which the Royal Oak has long been recognized. This is the 41mm ref. 15400, a model that was added to Audemars Piguet's catalog in 2012 for the 40th anniversary of the original Royal Oak.
This is a Royal Oak through and through, so you have the classic multi-finish, articulating Royal Oak bracelet (a work of art in itself) that's matched with an Audemars Piguet-branded folding clasp. Glareproof sapphire crystals are placed on the front- and back-facing elements of the watch. Finally, a color-matched date window is placed at three o'clock.
In the hand and on the wrist, it's easy to tell why the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak is the grail of grails for so many watch enthusiasts. It's the quintessence of sporty-casual design, while also being an excellent example of high-end Swiss watchmaking.
This Audemars Piguet Royal Oak is in overall excellent pre-owned condition, which indicates that there are signs of very light wear, possibly some small scratches on the case or bracelet. During our quality control check, any necessary adjustments are made to ensure the watch is functioning as intended. The case and bracelet have been professionally refinished. The dial is in excellent condition. The caseback is marked with the serial number "419XX."
Jules Louis Audemars and Edward Auguste Piguet founded Audemars, Piguet et Cie, in 1875. To this day, members of the two families remain on the Audemars Piguet board of directors, making the brand one of the oldest family-run companies in the entire Swiss watch industry. Located in Le Brassus, Switzerland, since its inception, Audemars Piguet is considered one of Swiss watchmaking's Holy Trinity and is one of the most popular brands in all of contemporary watch collecting. The designer Gérald Genta created the Royal Oak for Audemars Piguet in 1972, and today, the classic sport watch with an integrated bracelet has become one of the most collectible watches from any brand.
