- Manufacturer: Audemars Piguet
  Year: 1997
  Reference No: 25831ST
  Movement No: 435’621
  Case No: D92154.1
  Model Name: Royal Oak Tourbillon
  Material: Stainless steel
  Calibre: Automatic, cal 2875, 41 jewels
  Bracelet/Strap: Stainless steel Audemars Piguet bracelet, max length 195mm
  Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel Audemars Piguet deployant clasp
  Dimensions: 40mm Diameter
  Signed: Case, dial, movement and bracelet signed
  Accessories: Accompanied by Audemars Piguet Certificate of Origin and letter from Audemars Piguet Italia. Further accompanied by Audemars Piguet and Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo co-signed Royal Oak 50th Anniversary Attestation.
- Catalogue Essay
  Presented in 1997, the Royal Oak Tourbillon reference 25831 was made for the Royal Oak’s 25th anniversary as a limited edition of 25 pieces in steel, 5 in yellow gold, 5 in white gold, 5 in pink gold, 5 in platinum and a unique two tone pink and white gold model. It is also the only Royal Oak that does not have a crown placed on the caseband.
  
  The Royal Oak has always been an experimentation laboratory for Audemars Piguet. Wishing to continuously push the boundaries both technically and also of what was considered the "norm" at the time, Audemars Piguet first merged the casual/chic design of the Royal Oak with a complication only seen in dress watches at the time - the perpetual calendar. This was followed in 1997 with another first: a Royal Oak tourbillon made in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Royal Oak.
  
  The present example in stainless steel bears number 1, the watch features a power reserve indicator on the left side of the dial and a date indication on the right. The sense of details has been pushed to the nth degree as the "frame" of the tourbillon is not only in the shape of the Royal Oak bezel but it also features the signature screws!
  
  Not only visually arresting, this piece also houses the automatic caliber 2875 which is a feat of technical engineering. Wishing to have an automatic movement yet with slim dimensions, the watchmakers at Audemars Piguet opted for a bumper winding system which did away with a rotor and thus reduced the thickness of the movement with the crown placed on the back. In 1999, the movement was changed at Audemars Piguet workshops to the current one, found in the watch, bearing number 435’621.
  
  The present stainless steel version comes with a blue dial that is usually seen on the platinum examples, however we believe that considering that the present piece is number 1, the original owner may have requested a dial swap upon purchase.
  
  In excellent condition, the present Royal Oak tourbillon is a piece of horological history.
- Artist Biography
  Audemars Piguet
  Swiss • 1881
  A specialist in the manufacture of complications since it was established in 1881, Audemars Piguet never ceases to impress with a rich history of creating bold, even audacious, timepieces underpinned by traditional watchmaking at its finest. This Le Brassus-based Swiss manufacturer is one of only two major manufacturers still owned by the founding family. Since its earliest days, AP is considered a leader in the field of minute repeaters and grande complication pocket and wristwatches. The brand is devoted to preserving the history of watchmaking in the Vallée de Joux, showcased at their superb museum in Le Brassus.
  Today, the brand is best known for its Royal Oak models, a revolutionary luxury sports watch launched in 1972. Other key models include early minute repeating wristwatches, vintage chronograph wristwatches, such as the oversized reference 5020, perpetual calendar watches and the Royal Oak Offshore, first introduced in 1993.
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