121 Audemars Piguet An iconic and rare, Royal Oak “Jumbo” automatic wristwatch in yellow gold, black tapisserie and diamond-set dial, reference 5402BA.
Estimate: € 35.000 – 70.000
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| model | Royal Oak |
|---|---|
| year | Circa 1978 |
| reference | 5402BA |
| case material | 18K yellow gold |
| case number | N°292, B28678 |
| bracelet material | 18K yellow gold Audemars Piguet bracelet, approximate length 185mm |
| movement type | Automatic, cal. 2121, 36 jewels |
| movement number | 196'805 |
| dimension | 39mm Diameter |
| signed | Case, dial and movement |
There are few designs in horology that have so thoroughly disrupted convention, and then gone on to define it, as the Royal Oak. When it first emerged in 1972, with its defiant octagonal bezel, visible screws, and seamless bracelet, it wasn’t merely a new watch — it was a manifesto. The Royal Oak didn’t just survive; it rewrote the rules. Its architectural boldness, its industrial elegance, its unapologetically modern silhouette, all were decades ahead of their time. What we now call the “integrated bracelet sports watch” genre was born with this singular creation. The Royal Oak began to take root in the collector’s psyche, Audemars Piguet expanded its palette, and what we have here is perhaps one of the most poetic expressions of that early experimentation: a reference 5402BA, cast not in steel, but in solid 18-carat yellow gold. The dial: a smoky grey-blue tapestry, intricate, elegant, almost meditative, punctuated with diamond indices that shimmer just enough to be noticed, but never to shout. It is this nuanced restraint that separates luxury from ostentation.Ticking beneath the surface is the legendary Calibre 2121, a movement so thin and sophisticated, one forgets how radical it was upon release.But beyond the specs and metal and mechanics, what makes this reference truly profound is the philosophical contradiction it so beautifully embodies. Here is a watch originally conceived to disrupt, to redefine what sportiness, luxury, and utility could mean, now rendered in a form so decadent, it almost feels surreal. And yet, therein lies its genius. The 5402BA doesn’t need to make sense. Like all great works of art, it simply needs to move you.And this one does, with grace, with audacity, and with a quiet power that only the very greatest timepieces ever possess.
Condition Report
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