Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 5402ST 'Tropical Diamond D-Series'

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Extremely rare and early Royal Oak by Audemars Piguet. As confirmed by the extract of the archives it dates back to 1983. First reference, 5402, last series, D-Serie. The very first diamond set AP's were D-series but most of them where set in precious metals and probably only few ever produced in stainless steel. The watch comes with extract of the archive, a later Royal Oak box and "Certificat d'origine des pierres precieuses". This desirable piece has a distinctive ageing on the dial that we can admire sometimes on the characteristic tappiserie dials, but not often in such a mesmerising fashion. One might call it "tropical", we just call it AWESOME! The case and bracelet remain in very strong condition as it was serviced and laser polished back in 2017 by Audemars Piguet.

Introduction

Audemars Piguet Royal OakIn 1970, Audemars Piguet instructed Genta to come up with an “unprecedented steel watch.” As the story goes, he found inspiration whilst seeing a diver at work with an old-fashioned diver’s helmet near Lake Geneva. Staying up all night, Genta drew the design for a circular case with an angular, octagonal bezel, eight visible screws, and an integrated bracelet. The Royal Oak was presented in 1972 as the most expensive steel watch available and it caused an uproar: why was a distinguished maison d’horlogerie putting out a sports watch, let alone in such a pedestrian material? Some experts even predicted that the Royal Oak would put Audemars Piguet out of business. Though it took a while to catch on, the Royal Oak is now one of the most iconic and long-lasting watch designs, and has spawned an entire product line. It wouldn’t be the first time that Genta would prove a brand’s owners, customers, and industry experts wrong.

Shipping

Packages are generally dispatched within 2 days after receipt of payment and are shipped within the Netherlands by Registered Mail through the Dutch carrier PostNL and for other countries by Fedex. Consult us if you prefer another method of shipping. For most destinations tracking is available.