The Audemars Piguet Classique Skeleton line must’ve been viewed as an oddity upon its release in the late 1970s or early 1980s, with its missing dial and almost baroque-looking openworked movement.
The traditional Swiss watch industry was in disarray in the late 1970s and early 1980s as cheap Japanese quartz-powered watches flooded the market. Many manufacturers either had to close up shop or were forced to consolidate just to keep afloat. Right when the mechanical watch looked to have lost all relevance, Audemars Piguet released a line of skeletonized dress watches with an automatic movement and exquisite hand finishing.
This ref. 14232BA dates back to 1990 and is chock full of elegant details. The 18K yellow gold case clocks in at a classic 34 mm and features an elegant thin bezel with matching short lugs. The exquisitely hand engraved automatic movement—the same base caliber used in the original ref. 5402 Royal Oak—is visible through the front and back of the watch.
The watch has just returned from a full service at Audemars Piguet and comes with the corresponding service papers and the original certificate of authenticity. We’ve paired the watch with an elegant black alligator leather Audemars Piguet strap and an 18K yellow gold Audemars Piguet ardillon buckle.