1987/90 Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 36mm Automatic 14700SA
Ref: 14700SA
Specification
Lugs : 23mm
Condition : Pre-Owned
Box & Papers : Service Box
Case Material : Stainless Steel & 18ct Yellow Gold
Warranty : 12-Months NON-Waterproof Warranty
Points of Mention
This watch is sold with an Audemars Piguet service box. The watch comes paired with its original 23mm brushed integrated gold and steel bracelet with a signed hidden clasp, spare links included. The watch is from Circa. 1987/90 and is sold in worn condition with signs of wear, a full case and bracelet refurb can be provided at an additional cost. The watch comes with our 12-Months NON-Waterproof Warranty.
The Watch
Here we have the iconic 1987/90 Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 36mm Automatic 14700SA, designed by Gerald Genta in 1971 the original Ref 5402A design is inspired by a commercial divers scuba helmet, he got the name Royal Oak from a series of eight ships of the Royal Navy that took their naming convention from the hollowed oak tree that King Charles 2nd hid whilst escaping the roundheads who were supporters of the English parliament during the English civil war 1642-1651. The 36mm tonneau-shaped stainless steel and 18ct yellow gold case flow over your wrist with angular sloped lugs that perfectly encompass the integrated bracelet, a lug-to-lug length of 46mm and a case thickness of just 7.5mm ensure a comfortable fit on your wrist. On the right side the characteristic hexagonal crown, the 18ct yellow-gold octagonal bezel sits on an exposed rubber gasket. It has screw detailing reminiscent of a commercial divers helmet holding a flat sapphire crystal above a grey waffle dial. Applied yellow gold baton indexes mark the hours, at 3 o’clock a date window, slender baton yellow gold baton hands sit majestically complemented by a tapered sweeping second hand. At 12 o’clock we have the Audemars Piguet motif and at 6 o’clock "Automatic" completes this iconic versatile luxury sports watch. On the reverse, a screwed-down case back with Royal Oak engraved across the centre, inside an automatic Audemars Piguet Cal. 2125. The watch comes fitted with a 23mm yellow-gold and brushed integrated steel bracelet and signed hidden clasp, and the watch comes with an Audemars Piguet service box.
Personal Note
For me this is one of the most underrated Royal Oak references out there at 36mm with Steel & Gold and this colour dial. Most people overlook this model due to the size and they feel that 36mm will be too small on their wrist, this could not be further from the truth, the 36mm wears perfectly on most sized wrists and this is thanks to the incredible design of Gerald Genta, the shape of the case and how the bracelet flows from the case, it wears far larger than the 36mm dimension would lead you to believe. This is a model I would highly recommend coming to view in person and seeing for yourself, so book an appointment today!
The Brand
Was founded in Le Brassus, a small village inside the Vallée de Joux in Switzerland. In the early 1870s, two watchmakers worked independently. Their names are Jules Louis Audemars and Edward Auguste Piguet. In 1875 they joined forces to create the brand Audemars Piguet. In 1892, they created the first-minute repeater wristwatch. 1899 saw the first Grand Complication pocket watch released, featuring a minute repeater, alarm, perpetual calendar, deadbeat seconds, chronograph, and split-seconds hand. They released the thinnest pocket watch calibre in 1925, while the first skeletonized pocket watch was released in 1934. In 1946, they released the world's thinnest wristwatch. On the eve of the 1972 Swiss Watch Show BaselWorld, Audemars Piguet met with Genta and they tasked him to create a luxury sports watch. The next day Genta introduced an idea and the Royal Oak was born. Their Royal Oak Offshore collection was launched in 1993 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Royal Oak, Emmanuel Gueit a 22-year-old Swiss designer was asked by Stephen Urquhart CEO of Audemars Piguet to create a youthful sports enthusiast watch.