903/​732

Audemars Piguet

A gentleman's wristwatch of platinum and titanium. Model Royal Oak “Jumbo” Extra-Thin, ref. 15202IP.OO.1240IP.01. Mechanical movement with automatic winding and date, cal. 2121. Smoked blue ''Petite Tapisserie'' patterned-dial with white gold hour markers and hands. Audemars Piguet bracelet of platinum and titanium with folding clasp. Circumference app. 17 cm. Watch diameter 39 mm. 2018.

Accompanied by Audemars Piguet box, two additional links of platinum and titanium, manuals and Audemars Piguet international warranty card.

For a wristwatch to become sought after it must fulfil various criteria, such as being well-designed, reliable and come from a well-renowned maker. The regular Royal Oak certainly can be said to achieve all the above, but this exact model - the reference 15202IP - does much more than that, differing in slight but very intriguing ways.

The Audemars Piguet company, with its almost 150 years of existence, is part of the so-called “holy trinity”, which also includes Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin. For centuries, these companies have represented the very best of watchmaking to ever come out of Switzerland. Audemars Piguet is arguably the most modern and often daring of the three. Examples of interesting watch designs throughout the last 50 years are the Millenary, the many iterations of the Royal Oak Offshore and evidently the regular Royal Oak. The company has however, since its beginning, created some of the most classical and stylish timepieces for prominent collectors from all over the world. This corresponds perfectly with their motto: “To break the rules, you must first master them”.

Where the case of an ordinary Royal Oak would usually be of stainless steel, this model is crafted in platinum and titanium. The platinum is highly polished and can be found upon the octagonal bezel as well as on the small links on the bracelet. Much contrasting to this heavy material is the lightweight, brushed titanium. The weights of the two materials level each other out and give the watch a balanced feel. This rare combination of metals is thus astonishing to inspect, handle and wear.

The dial features a signature engine-turned ‘’petite tappiserie’’ decoration with beautifully applied indexes, similar to that of the regular 15202. However, upon closer examination, one finds that the colour ranges from a centralized gradient smoke-blue to a distinct, soft black upon the edges of the dial. This adds depth and complements to the overall appearance of this timepiece.

This particular example is one of just 250 pieces. Hence, these watches only very rarely appear on the market – and when they do, they demand incredible prices

Auction

Wristwatches, 29 September 2021

Category
Estimate

600,000–800,000 DKK

Sold

Price realised

850,000 DKK