
Jonathan Darracott
Global Head
Sold for £275,250 inc. premium
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Head of sale, Knightsbridge
Head of Department
Senior Cataloguer
Audemars Piguet first applied a perpetual calendar to Gerald Gentas legendary Royal Oak design in 1984. Audemars Piguet faced considerable technical challenges maintaining the water resistance of such a thin case, while also introducing the additional correctors in the side needed for the perpetual calendar movement. The challenge required continual development and led to small differences between references.
The current lot is a reference 25686PT and was produced in a very limited number of just 233 pieces. As referenced in Audemars Piguet 20th Century Complicated Watches, p.277, of the 233, 85 were made in steel, 70 in yellow gold, 43 in two-tone, 26 in platinum, and 9 in pink gold. The current example, executed in platinum, features a stunning Mother of Pearl dial that really has an exceptional colour and hue evoking an almost cloud-like appearance to the dial. To this day Mother-of-Pearl has remained one of the most consistently used and popular materials for watch dials with manufacturers at all levels incorporating the material into their designs. From full dial single sheets to intricately placed segments completing a luxurious jigsaw - Mother of Pearl is a very effective medium for adding depth to a watch. This example would be a fantastic piece to have in any collection.
Please note the size should read 39mm and not 36mm.