Lot 259

Audemars Piguet Swiss "Royal Oak Jumbo Automatic", No. 353, 39 x 48 mm, circa 1978

A gentleman's rare and heavy gold automatic Geneva "cult" wristwatch, "C-Series" with date
Case: 18k gold, screwed on back, AP 18k gold bracelet with deployant clasp. Dial: anthracite, engine-turned "petite tapisserie" , applied diamond indexes. Movm.: 21k gold rotorwind movement, Glucydur balance.
In 1972, Audemars Piguet launched the stainless steel "Royal Oak" model designed by Gerald Genta; its octagonal screwed bezel was inspired by the shape of a ship's porthole. The Royal Oak was produced in a series of 1000 pieces with the intention to be sold to lovers of luxury timekeepers. After a second series of 1000 Royal Oak "A" serial numbers Audemars Piguet moved on to the "B" series, "C" series, and so on.
One of the first potential buyers of the Royal Oak was the Shah of Persia Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. When the Shah saw the prototype - created in white gold for reasons of cost and convenience - he ordered his custom-made white gold watch right away. The Royal Oak was actually designed as a luxury watch in a steel case, which was very novel at the time. Audemars Piguet only began serial production of the Royal Oak in gold in 1977

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