製造商: Audemars Piguet 年份: 1997 型號: 14790TR 機芯編號: 407’547 錶殼號碼: No. 235; D 63006 型號名稱: Royal Oak 材料: Tantalum and 18K pink gold 機芯: Automatic, cal. 2125, 33 jewels 錶帶/ 錶鏈: 18K pink gold and tantalum Audemars Piguet bracelet, max length205mm diameter 錶扣: 18K pink gold and tantalum Audemars Piguet deployant clasp, stainless steel internal blade, additionally stamped Gay Frères. 尺寸: 36mm Diameter 簽名: Case, dial, movement, and bracelet signed. 配件: Accompanied by original Audemars Piguet warranty dated December 23, 1997, service card, and instruction manual.
圖錄文章
Audemars Piguet was one of the very first brands to incorporate tantalum in its regular production references. Rarely used in watchmaking due to its ability to chew through machinery much quicker than most other metals, tantalum is a heavy, hard, and lustrous metal with a high melting point and impressive corrosion resistance. Thus, high temperatures are needed for tantalum to be adapted, and once it has been annealed, it can be quite ductile and easy to fabricate. According to our research, Audemars Piguet pioneered their first tantalum watch at the behest of King Juan Carlos of Spain, who wanted a Royal Oak with a stealth-like tone for hunting purposes. Contrasted with the rosy warmth of 18K pink gold, the pairing presents a perfect balance from opposite ends of the spectrum.
To accentuate this contrast of case materials, the typical clous de Paris dial is done away with in favor of a vertically brushed grey dial with pink gold-toned hour indexes and details to create a more subtle and subdued layout. This is consistent with its D-series case number and certificate of origin dated to 1997. Sized at a perfectly proportioned 36mm, though wearing a bit larger due to the engineering of the bracelet into the case, the reference 14790 succeeded the earlier midsize reference 4100 and was in production from approximately 1993 until 2006.
Preserved in splendid condition, the present 14790TR is an exceptional iteration of an icon, rendered in one of the coolest case material combinations ever found on a Royal Oak. It is offered with its original Certificate of Origin confirming its sale on December 23th, 1997 – a covetable Christmas present indeed.
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.
