Phillips To Offer 88 Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Watches In 50th Anniversary Sale

Phillips auction house and Bacs & Russo are marking the 50th anniversary of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak with a dedicated sale of 88 Royal Oak timepieces on May 6 at the Hôtel La Réserve in Geneva.

Considered one of horology’s most iconic watches, Audemars Piguet unveiled the Royal Oak at the 1972 Basel watch fair, marking a new era for a luxury sports watch that remains popular today. Its novel approach to a sports watch caused an immediate sensation and is sometimes credited with helping to save the Swiss watch industry, at a time when inexpensive quartz watches flooded the marketplace.

This tightly curated sale will offer 88 examples of Royal Oak wristwatches, including rarest and best preserved that are known to exist, according to the auction house.

“This tightly curated sale will give a glimpse into the complex and diverse world of this horological icon,” Alexandre Ghotbi, head of Watches, Continental Europe & Middle East, and Virginie Liatard Roessli, watch specialist and head of Sale, said in a joint statement. “We can see how, with one single reference the 5402 from 1972, Audemars Piguet created not only a genre but also a design language that it then immediately started developing, experimenting with sizes, complications and metals. To the best of our knowledge, never have we seen or heard of such an assembly of so many historically important, rare and, in some cases, unique Royal Oak models gathered in one place or shown to the public.”

Highlights of the sale include the following:

• Ref 5402ST A2 (top photo) – the earliest number reference 5402 to ever appear at auction as it bears the number A2, making it the second Royal Oak ever made. In addition, this watch was one of the four Royal Oak models presented to the press and public at the opening of the Basel watch fair in 1972. The watch is completed with its full set of accessories and is unworn. Its estimate is CHF 200,000 – 400,000 (US$215,000 – $430,000).

• Ref 5402ST, Karl Lagerfeld Black PVD coated “A series” – The German creative director, fashion designer, artist, and photographer was often seen wearing black PVD Royal Oak models of different sizes which he would then gift to friends and collaborators. It was purchased in Italy in early 1974 when Lagerfeld was living there. It came back to the market in 1995 and remained in the same collection for more than two decades. There are period photos showing Lagerfeld wearing a black PVD Ref 5402. The place of delivery of the watch and amount of wear led Phillips’ watch specialists to believe that this watch had been the property of Lagerfeld and quite possibly was worn by him. Its estimate is CHF 100,000 – 200,000 (US$107,377 – $215,000).

• Ref 25831ST Tourbillon in Stainless steel – Unveiled in 1997, this reference was made in celebration of the Royal Oak’s 25th anniversary and featured for the first time a tourbillon. This example is number 1 of 25. Its estimate is CHF 120,000 – 240,000 (US$128,853 – $257,700).
• Ref 25865ST Grande Complication – This Royal Oak in stainless steel brings together three extremely difficult complications to master: a minute repeater, a perpetual calendar and a split seconds chronograph. It is a unique piece. Estimate CHF 250,000 – 500,000 (US$268,444 – $536,890).
• Ref 25990BC Grande Complication – This unique piece brings together a minute repeater, a perpetual calendar and a split seconds chronograph. Its white gold case and dial are set with diamonds with mother-of-pearl subdials. Its estimate is CHF 250,000 – 500,000 (US$268,444 – $536,890).
• Ref 25636PT Openwork Perpetual Calendar in platinum – This is one of the earliest variants to feature an openwork dial exposing the perpetual calendar mechanism. Featuring rare midnight blue subdials, the model does not feature a leap year indicator. Only 41 pieces in platinum were made. Its estimate is CHF 200,000 – 400,000 (US$215,000 – $430,000).

• Ref 25829TP Openwork Perpetual Calendar in platinum and tantalum – One of only 16 pieces made, this timepiece features a mix of metals rarely seen in watchmaking. Its estimate is CHF 120,000 – 240,000 (US$128,853 – $257,700).
• Ref 14802PT Jubilee in platinum – Launched for the Royal Oak’s 20th anniversary in 1992, ref 14802 was available in an ultra-exclusive 20-piece edition in platinum, amongst which a very low number featured the beautiful blue “Tuscan” dial, like the one in this example. Its estimate is CHF 250,000-500,000 (US$268,444 – $536,890).