Audemars Piguet Dress Watch - W/ 'Beads-Of-Rice' Bracelet
The year 1972 was the advent of what is undeniably Audemars Piguet's most famous, significant, and yes, iconic line of watches, the Royal Oak. It was also the year that the 'high-end dress watch' would forever change. Prior to 1972, ultra-thin and design-focused precious metal watches represented the pinnacle of the genre, not what appears to be an industrial-styled stainless steel sports watch with a bracelet.
While the brand never stopped producing traditional dress watches, per-se, production of their new golden goose would dominate the rest of the lineup. So, watches like the svelte and, frankly, stunning yellow gold dress watch that we have here offer offer not just a ton of value next to their iconic siblings, but were produced in relatively limited quantities.
The piece that we have here is a very attractive solid yellow gold dress from circa the 1980s with a slew of attractive, stylistic details. The with a stunning dial and matching bracelet. The 34mm case features a substantial bezel with embossed plot-style indices and quadrant 'Breguet' indices. The champagne dial inside utilizes 'hash' minute indices and applied 'baton' indices for the 5-minute markers, which then have 'crosshair'-style elongated marks extending through the center post to each opposing marker. It forms a very attractive pattern and is complimented by a beveled 'dauphine' handset.
Last but not least, the bracelet is a fantastic integrated-style 'beads-of-rice' piece with a signed, hidden 'butterfly' clasp.
This then, is a representation of a bygone era not just for Audemars Piguet, but for what a high-end dress watch used to be. Only in the last few years have collectors and enthusiasts alike started to pay a bit more attention to pieces like these and, we think, its long overdue.
Condition Report & Details
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Every Oliver & Clarke timepiece comes with a one-year mechanical warranty starting from the date of delivery. We ensure all watches are in wonderful working condition and are ready for daily wear. Many have been fully serviced by our team of watchmakers.
Please note:
- Due to the vintage or antique nature of many of our watches, they may not keep time as accurately as when new, nor as precisely as quartz or electronic devices.
- We do not guarantee water resistance and do not warranty against moisture or water damage. Deliberate exposure to water or steam is not recommended.
- Warranty does not cover internal or external damage caused by accidents, mishandling, abuse, modifications, or services performed by anyone other than our authorized personnel.
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Our Guarantee:
- Each timepiece is thoroughly evaluated, authenticated, and approved by our expert team before it is offered for sale.
- We guarantee the period-correctness of all components unless otherwise stated.
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From Rolex & Patek Philippe, to Cartier & Audemars Piguet. As collectors first, we love the small details that separate the Submariner from Daytona and Calatrava from Royal Oak. This is why you'll find our curated assortment spans decades of generations of models and brands. We believe that watches don't just tell time, they tell history - and life is too short to wear a boring watch.
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