AUDEMARS PIGUET - Lot 51
AUDEMARS PIGUET Royal Oak "Jumbo Ref. 5402BA No. 248 B22156 Sold in 1978 Bracelet watch in 18k (750) yellow gold Case: tonneau, octagonal screw-down bezel, octagonal crown, solid back, signed Dial: tapestry dial, applied luminescent gold baton hour markers, painted black baton minute track, luminescent baton hands, date window at 3 o'clock, applied logo at 6 o'clock, signed Movement: automatic signed Audemars Piguet - Calibre 2121 made by LeCoultre No.174160 Bracelet/Fastener: integrated bracelet with falls and folding clasp in 18k (750) yellow gold, signed Diameter: 39 mm Wrist circumference: 17 cm approx. Gross weight: 163.3 g With: octagonal case and box, service case and winding case, and service cardboard box, extract from the 2024 revision registers and invoices, one corrector Condition report given as an indication: Sold as is, traces of polishing, clasp logo partially removed, service crown, bracelet slightly distended, lack of luminescent paint on some indexes, service hands, movement functional as described, plan to service, no warranty. Our thanks to Audemars Piguet for its kind collaboration. In the early '70s, the Swiss watchmaking industry faced a major challenge: the advent of quartz movements, particularly after the launch of the Seiko Astron 35SQ in December 1969, turned the market upside down. Quartz movements were far more precise than mechanical ones, and made watchmaking much more accessible. Quartz watches are less expensive to produce, resulting in a significant loss of market share for traditional Swiss watchmakers, to the benefit of Japanese watchmakers. In response to this technological revolution, the major watchmaking houses have had to find a response, while differentiating themselves with a distinctive proposition. It was against this backdrop of crisis that Audemars Piguet decided to take a bold risk by creating a watch with a totally innovative design, La Royal Oak designed by Gérald Genta, the perfect embodiment of this risk-taking. Gérald Genta, a renowned watch designer (sometimes referred to as "the Picasso of watchmaking"), is the man responsible for the design of the Royal Oak. The latter is often considered a watch design genius, having created several iconic watches for other houses such as Universal Genève, Patek Philippe and Omega. The Royal Oak, however, is undoubtedly his masterpiece, marking the apogee of his style. The background to this timepiece is fascinating. In 1971, Audemars Piguet called on Genta to design a watch that could give the brand a new impetus in the face of the rise of quartz. Inspired by divers' helmets, Genta designed a watch in a single evening, without hesitation. He imagined a watch with an octagonal shape, a bezel with eight visible screws, a stainless steel case and an integrated bracelet, which was unheard of at the time, and proposed a very graphic, industrial style with these visible screws (note that on the Royal Oak sketches, the screws were not aligned! In the end, they were aligned on the production model to accentuate the line of this iconic bezel). The name of the watch is inspired by the name of a ship that marked British history. This reference to a noble tree, the royal oak, was intended to give the watch an aristocratic and timeless dimension, while being resolutely modern. When it was launched in 1972, the Royal Oak shocked the watchmaking world with its totally innovative proposal compared to other watches of the time. While the majority of luxury watches were made of yellow gold and had more classic designs, the Royal Oak stood out for its daring style. It adopted a stainless steel case, a material little used in luxury watchmaking at the time, and an angular case that broke with the tradition of round shapes. This aesthetic choice, combined with the watch's 39 mm diameter and relatively flat case thanks to its K2121 caliber (developed by LeCoultre, known as "the watchmaker's watchmaker"), made it a veritable thumbing of the nose at traditional watchmaking conventions. The visible screws and octagonal shape of the bezel are not just decorative: they reinforce the watch's robustness and technical aspect. This marks the birth of a new genre: the sporty, elegant, yet resistant luxury watch. The 5402BA "Jumbo" reference in particular, which is the yellow gold version of the Royal Oak, further accentuates the watch's high-end character. The 
