Manufacturer: Audemars Piguet Year: 1988 Reference No: 25554BA Case No: No. 288; C 19’571 Model Name: Royal Oak Quantième Perpetuel Material: 18K yellow gold Calibre: Automatic, cal. 2120/2800, 38 jewels Bracelet/Strap: 18K yellow gold Audemars Piguet bracelet, max length 190mm Clasp/Buckle: 18K white gold and yellow gold Audemars Piguet folding clasp Dimensions: 39mm Diameter Signed: Case, dial, movement, and bracelet signed. Accessories: Accompanied by original Audemars Piguet Certificate of Origin and Guarantee dated February 2nd, 1988, perpetual calendar instruction manual, setting pin, box key, inner fitted presentation and winding box, charging cord, and outer box.
Catalogue Essay
2022 marks the important event of the Royal Oak being half a century old, and for the past 11 months, collectors have reflected on the importance of commemorating one of the most exciting, charming, and cherished models the firm has ever introduced.
First introduced as a time-only luxury sports watch in steel with an integrated bracelet in 1972, the ingenious design was by the great and late Gerald Genta. An unusual release at the time, doubly so for its release during the peak of the quartz crisis, it commanded a higher price than a gold watch. However, the firm’s vision behind Genta’s ingenuity would prevail, becoming the true pioneers behind the boom of the luxury sports wristwatch.
The Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar was launched in 1984. The forward-thinking approach from the Managing Director of Audemars Piguet at the time, George Golay, took the thin workhorse caliber 2120/2800, added an ultra-slim perpetual calendar module, and fitted it into the already slim Royal Oak case, making it one of the world’s thinnest automatic perpetual calendar watch.
The very first of these produced in series was the reference 25554 and was made only in scarce quantities: an estimated 279 examples across all metals including yellow gold, stainless steel, and platinum.
The present example Audemars Piguet Royal Oak reference 25554BA is an early example bearing a MK1 dial, featuring a C19’XXX serial case with batch no. 288. The MK1 dial features three gold dotted indexes at 3, 9 and 12 o’clock and a small signature under the moon phase with uniformly sized font, it is further enhanced by its fantastic state of preservation, boasting a crisp case with sharply defined edges and hardly any signs of wear, as well as its original Certificate of Origin.
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.
Ref. 25554BA An extremely well-preserved, early, and groundbreaking yellow gold perpetual calendar wristwatch with bracelet, Mark I dial, moon phases, Certificate of Origin, and presentation box
1988 39mm Diameter Case, dial, movement, and bracelet signed.