Thanks to its Royal provenance, the present watch is one of the rarest and most exciting examples of an early Royal Oak “Jumbo” to appear at auction in recent memory. Part of the earliest and most desirable “A-Series” production, this reference 5402 was the 959th Royal Oak made. Taking its exclusivity and desirability to an even higher level is the presence of the “Khanjar” daggers on the dial at 6 o’clock – the national emblem of Oman.

The Sultan of Oman, His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said, is a well-known collector and horological enthusiast, and specially commissioned watches from the finest manufactures to be given as gifts to loyal servants and foreign dignitaries. His Majesty ascended to the throne on July 23, 1970, which makes the present watch likely to be amongst the first gifts he offered during his reign. The dial is exceptional, without the characteristic “mini-tapisserie” guilloché surface found on all other A-series Royal Oaks. This flat black surface was better suited to apply the Khanjar emblem, demonstrating that this dial was custom designed for His Majesty. Furthermore, 12 round brilliant-cut diamond hour markers serve to enhance its beauty.

Finding any A-Series Royal Oak is not easy, and finding one as well preserved as the present example is far more difficult. The present A-Series example, with its Royal provenance, is therefore an exceptionally rare opportunity to own one of the world’s most important Royal Oak watches.