ULTRA RARE Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 18k Yellow Gold Vintage 80's Ref. 6023BA
AP watch full service d 01.11.2018. YELLOW GOLD, ROYAL OAK, REF. Its Ultra Rare Vintage 80s (B-series)!! CASE MATERIAL: 18k Yellow Gold.
The case and bracelet are like new, the dial has the desirable long indexes and has a grey color. The movement is Quartz and keeping perfect time. Accompanied by its original box. All in all a fabulous Royal Oak for the 36mm size lover. Audemars Piguet introduced the Royal Oak in 1972 and it was a game-changer for the luxury watch industry.
Gerald Genta wasn't an unknown entity to the head honchos of the Swiss watch industry, having designed pieces for Omega and Universal Genève. The man on the other end of the line, AP managing director Georges Golay, told Genta that he needed a design for "an unprecedented steel watch" for the Italian market. Oh, and it needed to be done by the following morning. But Golay, despite the short turnaround he gave Genta, wasn't crazy. The commission was the result of a stealthy campaign of market research.
The Italian elite, he learned, might be interested in a versatile, sporty steel watch with impeccable finishing and killer looks that could transition from day to night seamlessly. So Genta set to work on the design, using a diver's helmet as inspiration. By the next morning, he was done, and submitted to Carlo de Marchi and Charles Bauty--heads of the Italian and Swiss markets--the blueprint for what would become Audemars Piguet's most signature watch: the Royal Oak. Though intended to be crafted in steel, Audemars Piguet--never very familiar with the metal--cast the prototypes of the Royal Oak in white gold before finally getting the hang of the steel. The cutting edge design featured a sharply angled case, with the exposed rivets of the bezel reminiscent of gaskets in a diver's helmet. Additionally, the eight sides of the case--and the name, Royal Oak--were inspired by eight ships of the Royal Navy that were hewn from an oak tree that sheltered King Charles II during the English Civil War. In keeping with Audemars Piguet's intention for the Royal Oak to be stylish, the case was 7mm thin, and the bracelet (made by Gay Fréres) was integrated into the case to create a slim profile. That first Royal Oak, introduced in 1972, was something entirely new--so new, in fact, that it more or less created the genre of a "luxury sports watch, " a sports watch that would not look out of place on a yacht. However, sales of the Royal Oak were sluggish at first, with authorized dealers failing to sell out their allotment of 400 Royal Oaks a piece. But all that changed in 1974, when the head of Fiat, Giovanni Agnelli, greeted the public wearing a Royal Oak. It can be said without question that the original size single-handedly paved the way for a very bright future for Audemars Piguet. Now, the Royal Oak line is of course a core component of their collection today. The beautiful thing about Genta's design is how well it lends itself to being adapted to many different case materials and sizes. This stunner of a watch from the 70s, in 18k yellow gold. Carefully preserved, the case and its integrated bracelet are hefty despite the slimness, and the grey of the dial positively gleams in the light--a beautiful piece that is sure to delight. The item "ULTRA RARE Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 18k Yellow Gold Vintage 80's Ref. 6023BA" is in sale since Friday, November 13, 2020. This item is in the category "Jewellery & Watches\Watches, Parts & Accessories\Watches\Wristwatches".- Model: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak
- Department: Adult
- Extra Links: Yes
- Metal Purity: 18k
- Gender: Unisex
- Case Material: 18k yellow gold
- Movement: Quartz (Battery)
- With Original Packaging: Yes
- Type: Wristwatch
- With Service Records: Yes
- Year Manufactured: 1980-1989
- Reference Number: Does Not Apply
- Display: Analog
- Lug Width: 36mm
- Brand: Audemars Piguet
- Case Size: 36mm
- Number of Jewels: 10 Jewels
- Water Resistance: Not Water Resistant
- Strap Material: Solid Gold
- Country/Region of Manufacture: Switzerland
- Style: Sport
- Features: Date Indicator
- Dial Colour: Yellow Gold
- Case Finish: Matte
- Strap Colour: Yellow Gold
- Case Colour: Yellow Gold