Audemars Piguet Ref. 5419BA - 'Jumbo' Ellipse Unpolished
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. And this is after considering that prior to the Royal Oak, AP made far fewer watches to start with...
The piece that we have here hails from circa the 1972 and is known to collectors as a 'Ellipse' for its oblong round shape. Crafted out of solid yellow gold the case is approximately 35mm x 41mm — a massive size by even the standards of today. In unpolished condition, it shows normal signs of wear for its age with no major damage or wear. Inside, the champagne dial features sunburst finishing and 'exploding'-style 'Roman' indices rendered in black, which are complimented by a matching black-painted 'pencil' handset. Last but not least, powering this piece is the very same ultra-thin automatic-winding movement that powered the very first Royal Oak reference that was release the same year and sold along side this piece. It also comes fitted with an Audemars Piguet signed black alligator strap with a signed 18k yellow gold buckle.
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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