Wristwatches · Wristwatch
AP Royal Oak Jumbo, ref. 6005SA, 1980s
- Maker / attribution
- Audemars Piguet (maker)
- Date
- 1980s
- Historical period
- Quartz Revolution (1969 – 1990)
- Country of origin
- Switzerland
- Object type
- Wristwatch
- Materials / technique
- 18K Yellow-Gold
- Dimensions
- Diameter 32 mm
- Stock no.
- CUR11
- Credit line
- Dealer listing, Watches of Knightsbridge (CUR11)
- Catalogue title (original)
- AP Royal Oak Jumbo 6005SA (English)
View the source record (dealer listing) ↗ (opens another website in a new tab)Suggest a correction
Record summary
Catalogued by Watches of Knightsbridge (dealer), London (stock number CUR11), this is a wristwatch by Audemars Piguet, made in Switzerland, dated 1980s. The Atlas places it in the Quartz Revolution period (1969 – 1990) of its Wristwatches collection. Materials and techniques recorded by the source: 18K Yellow-Gold. Recorded dimensions: Diameter 32 mm. The record is illustrated with 6 photographs.
Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.
Catalogue description
Dealer description — Watches of Knightsbridge
The Royal Oak is perhaps one of the most distinctive watches around. With its octagonal shape, exposed screws and integrated bracelet, it is easy to recognise from afar. But more importantly, the watch is a legend for pioneering the use of stainless steel in haute horlogerie, thanks to a watch designer, Gerald Genta, who was inspired by the porthole of a naval ship. Though back in 1971 when this inspiration led to the Royal Oak, Mr. Genta wasn’t yet the household name it is today. This rare Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 6005SA Jumbo has many signature RO design features, however it sports a case shape that is in stark contrast to the original reference 5402. The stainless steel and 18-carat yellow-gold case of this Royal Oak measures 32 mm x 41mm, and although more oblong/rectangular in shape, it is often referred as the Royal Oak “Square”. It features a flawless “small Tapisserie“ dial with old Audemars Piguet logo font in grey. Its steel and gold bracelet is tight and the original “button-crown” (pull to set the hour, press internal button to set the minute) works perfectly, as does the AP quartz caliber 2511 housed in this reference 6005SA. The watch is in overall great original condition with only small signs of wear from occasional use over the decades.
Specifications — Watches of Knightsbridge
Reference: 6005SA; Metal: 18K Yellow-Gold; Movement: Quartz Calibre 2511; Case diameter: 32mm x 41mm; Bracelet/strap: Stainless Steel/18-Carat Yellow-Gold Audemars Piguet Integrated Bracelet
Historical context
Quartz Revolution (1969 – 1990)
Seiko's Astron begins mass quartz timekeeping; traditional industries contract sharply.
Quartz and digital watches transformed the market after 1969. Swiss employment collapsed, Japanese and Hong Kong production soared, and the Swatch (1983) helped the Swiss industry recover; mechanical watches survived as luxury goods.
Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Modern Mechanical Horology
Atlas type guide
Wristwatches
Bracelet watches were worn by women from the early nineteenth century — Breguet made one for Caroline Murat, Queen of Naples, in 1810–12 — but the wristwatch only became a man's instrument with military use and aviation in the early twentieth century. Between the World Wars it overtook the pocket watch; the 1920s and 1930s brought rectangular Art Deco cases, water-resistant cases and the first automatic winding systems.
After 1945 the wristwatch became a carrier of identity — dress watches, sports and dive watches, chronographs, calendars — produced by Swiss, American, Japanese, German, Soviet and Chinese industries. The quartz revolution after 1969 and the mechanical renaissance since the 1990s, including the rise of independent watchmakers, complete the story.
What to look for
- The reference number (between the lugs or inside the case back) and serial number, the starting point for dating.
- The calibre: its maker and number are often stamped under the dial or on the bridge.
- Originality of dial, hands and crown — refinished ('redial') dials are common.
- Case material marks: 18K/750, 14K/585, stainless steel, gold-filled, plated.
Dating clues
- Wire-lug cases: before c. 1925.
- Water-resistant screw-down cases: from 1926.
- Quartz movements: from 1969; sapphire crystals widespread after c. 1980.
General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.
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