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Since 1875, Audemars Piguet has been creating some of the world’s most iconic timepieces known for their innovative spirit and unconventional designs and techniques. The Swiss manufacturer’s proficiency includes creating complicated models with tourbillons and perpetual calendars, with the ‘Royal Oak’ being the most famous.
The ‘Royal Oak’ is the brand’s flagship sports watch, released in 1972, worn by the most affluent. Today, the AP is considered one of the most renowned watch brands, but the company has had its fair share of turbulence….
Whether you’re an avid watch collector or in the market to buy your very first AP timepiece, The Luxury Hut is the place to be. We’re a renowned dealer of pre-owned luxury watches, including second-hand, vintage, and rare Audemars Piguet timepieces. AP watches are prestigious, and you would want to buy them from a reputed source to ensure the best deal, not just in terms of money but quality.
Choosing us as your AP watch provider means you’ll get your favourite AP model at the best price and in excellent condition. The selection of Audemars Piguet watches in our online shop is vast, and the prices are competitive for you to buy confidently without second thoughts. To offer each customer the option of buying conveniently, we offer 0% APR finance over six months.
Every watch in our shop, whether it is a pre-owned Audemars Piguet or a rare & vintage model, has been thoroughly checked by our in-house watch specialists and comes with a Certificate of Authenticity, a 14-day Easy Return Policy, and a 12-month Comprehensive Guarantee.
Rest assured that the watches are in excellent condition and if you wish to see and try them in person, call us on 0207 242 9160 to book an appointment at our Hatton Garden store, where our team will be delighted to assist you.
The origin of Audemars Piguet goes back to 1875 when two friends, Jules Louis Audemars and Edward Auguste Piguet, sharing a common flair for complicated watch movements, collaborated to create something notable. While Audemars shared a knack for complicated watch movements, Piguet was known for his final regulation of the watch movements. Together, the two watchmakers delivered the luxurious ‘Audemars Piguet’ watches.
The duo aimed to make thin and complicated luxury timepieces and was successful initially when the production count was small. In 1892, they created the first minute-repeater watch. In 1899, they were out with the first Grand Complication pocket watch featuring an alarm, perpetual calendar, minute repeater, deadbeat seconds, split-seconds hand, and chronograph.
After Audemars and Piguet passed away in 1918 & 1919, the company continued to grow, but this time sons Paul Louis Audemars and Paul Edward Piguet took over the brand and pushed for innovation. In 1946, Audemars Piguet released the world’s thinnest wrist piece, and in 1957, the world saw the first AP perpetual calendar watch.
However, during the 1970s Quartz crisis, just like the other watch brands, Audemars Piguet had also taken a hit and had to find new ways to stand out in quartz watches. It was then when Gerald Genta, the celebrated watch designer, appeared as a saviour to develop a new catalogue of watches.
In 1972, AP assigned Gerald Genta the task of creating a unique luxury sports timepiece and the next day, Gerald presented the ‘Royal Oak’ design. With a bold and daring tonneau-shaped case, an octagonal bezel with 8 exposed screws, and a round dial, the Royal Oak changed the fate of Audemars Piguet forever. Today Audemars Piguet is a famous supplier of ultra-luxurious wristwatches.
Audemars Piguet created the first wristwatch in 1892 with a minute-repeating movement. Only a few years later, in 1899, the brand released the ‘Grand Complication’ pocket watch featuring seven prominent complications.
They are:
In the early 1970s, the watch world faced trouble due to the ‘Quartz Crisis’ and AP needed a watch to save them from doom. In April 1970, Gerald Genta received the call of his life from AP’s Managing Director Georges Golay, who asked the former to design a steel sports watch that the world had never seen before and gave a fair time of only 24 hours!
The famed watch designer immediately grabbed his drawing board and started designing a watch whose water resistance was unbeatable at that time. The next day, Genta delivered an extraordinary design. He designed a steel watch with an octagonal bezel secured by eight visible hexagonal gold screws and a dial beautifully adorned with a blue petite tapisserie motif. The watch designer drew his inspiration from a traditional diver’s helmet.
The watch was slim but large (39mm diameter) and integrated into a stainless steel bracelet. Multiple influences nourished the Royal Oak’s aesthetics. One of the most popular of them is the bezel’s shape featuring eight exposed screws representing the gunports of the British fleet’s ‘Royal Oak’ warships. However, after a year, AP assigned the name ‘Royal Oak’ to this unique model.
The first AP Royal Oak debuted in 1972 at the Basel Fair, and the initial prototypes were built in white gold and housed the beautiful Calibre 2121.
Most popular Audemars Piguet models
Although produced during a moment of crisis (Quartz crisis), the Royal Oak remains AP’s most successful creation to date. The watch is available in several combinations and continues to amaze buyers through its uniqueness. If you’re looking to buy one, here’s a list of the best iterations you can consider:
Ref. 15202ST: This is perhaps the most classic Royal Oak watch and the most praised. The Ref. 15202ST is a faithful version of the Royal Oak Jumbo featuring a 39mm stainless steel case, an octagonal bezel, a blue dial with a Petite Tapisserie pattern, and an integrated steel bracelet.
Ref.15300ST: AP introduced a bulkier aesthetic with the Royal Oak Ref. 15300ST, featuring a 39mm stainless steel case, a black Grande Tapisserie dial and a steel bracelet. The watch features a second hand added to the white gold handset.
Ref. 26300ST: This is one of the most iconic Royal Oak timepieces of all time, featuring a striking electric blue Grande Tapisserie dial with orange chronograph seconds hand, minute track, and sub-dial hands. The watch has all the Royal Oak’s significant characteristics and comes in the same 39mm octagonal package with a polished stainless steel integrated bracelet. All the elements are in perfect harmony and create a great visual balance.
Ref.25980AI: The Royal Oak Concept models garner a separate fan base for their stunning design architecture. The Royal Oak Concept Watch 1 Tourbillon features a 44mm case made of Alacrite 602 with a Grade 5 titanium bezel, surrounding a skeleton dial on a fabric strap. This is not a watch for the faint-hearted and includes functions like minutes, hours, small seconds, and tourbillon.
The watch hosts a great complication, and Audemars Piguet has created only 150 pieces of this extraordinary timepiece to mark the 30th anniversary of the Royal Oak.
Ref.26579CE: Audemars Piguet goes all-black with the ceramic Ref. 26579CE. The Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar features the date, day, month, week of the year, and astronomical moon. Moreover, the watch also features the leap year indication on the Grande Tapisserie decorated dial. Coming in a nice 41mm black ceramic case and a slate grey dial with a black inner bezel, the watch looks class-apart from the rest. Additionally, the black ceramic bracelet offers a stunning modern black aesthetic. Overall, the watch is visually stunning and demonstrates AP’s superiority in producing complicated watches.
The feeling of wearing one of the most prestigious and iconic luxury watch brands on the wrist is unbeaten. To ensure that you don’t go wrong with any of the AP watches, we at The Luxury Hut offer plenty of pre-owned models for you to choose from. Whether vintage, rare or antique, our collection hosts a wide array of AP timepieces in excellent condition. We want to help you buy the best Audemars Piguet watches at the best price without compromising quality.
Browse our vast online inventory, and we’re sure you’ll find something that interests you. If you buy it online, we will securely ship your watch via FedEx for worldwide delivery and Royal Mail for next-day UK delivery. It’s free! Alternatively, book an appointment to visit us at our Hatton Garden store. Our team will share some invaluable knowledge about the prestigious AP watches and help you find your perfect pick!
You can also sell your pre-owned AP watch to us. Our 40 years of combined experience in the industry allows us to accurately evaluate your watch and offer the best competitive value in the market. Trust in our expertise as we quote the best price to you for your invaluable AP timepiece.
At The Luxury Hut, you can also part exchange your watch for any pre-owned watch in our collection. It is safe, quick, and fully secure. Need a watch appraisal? We’re the best place in the UK to come for that. Our in-house watch specialists offer an accurate valuation for all luxury watches in no time.
Start by filling in our online form for a free valuation!
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