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Audemars Piguet 18K YG Dress Watch "Cal. K2001" W/ 18K Gold Gay Freres Mesh Bracelet, 1950s — view 1 of 6
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Wristwatches · Wristwatch

Audemars Piguet 18K YG Dress Watch "Cal. K2001" W/ 18K Gold Gay Freres Mesh Bracelet, 1950s

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.
Maker / attribution
Audemars Piguet (maker)
Date
1950s
Country of origin
Switzerland
Object type
Wristwatch
Materials / technique
gold
Stock no.
AP18KSDW
Credit line
Dealer listing, Craft & Tailored (AP18KSDW)
Catalogue title (original)
1950s Audemars Piguet 18K YG Dress Watch "Cal. K2001" W/ 18K Gold Gay Freres Mesh Bracelet (English)

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Record summary

Catalogued by Craft & Tailored (dealer), Los Angeles (stock number AP18KSDW), this is a wristwatch by Audemars Piguet, made in Switzerland, dated 1950s. The Atlas places it in the Modern Mechanical Horology period (1945 – 1969) of its Wristwatches collection. Materials and techniques recorded by the source: gold. 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 — Craft & Tailored

Although Audemars Piguet may be best known for their Royal Oak series, notably designed by Gerald Genta, AP had a long lineage of interesting timepieces both before the conceptualization of the Royal Oak and after. Primarily consisting of dress models, Audemars Piguet produced some highly collectible chronographs and dress models that were stylistically, in many cases, very ahead of their time. This charming Audemars Piguet square dress watch from the 1950s is both familiar and unique. The 18K yellow gold watch simultaneously draws inspiration from the iconic Cartier Tank Normale with its case shape without losing the core identity and aesthetic of 1950s AP dress watches that we love. The cal. K2001 inhouse Audemars Piguet movement was beloved among other watchmaking houses as well, as it was also utilized by both Jaeger-LeCoultre and Vacheron Constantin. Stock # AP18KSDW Brand Audemars Piguet Style Square Dress Watch Model N/A Serial 39XXX/77XXX Size Ladies/ Unisex Material 18K Yellow Gold Dial Gold Millimeters 23.5x31.5 Bracelet 18K YG Gay Freres "Swiss Made" Mesh Bracelet CASE & BRACELET The 18K yellow gold case is a square shape that is reminiscent of a Cartier Tank Normale case and is finished with a flat surface, flat sides, and back with soft edges for a very wearable and geometric aesthetic. The case appears to have been gently polished in the past and exhibits light signs of previous use. The watch comes supplied on an 18K yellow gold mesh Gay Freres adjustable bracelet. The max opening of the bracelet is 8 1/4 inches and the max closure of the watch is 5 inches. The Bracelet has trouble fitting over an average man's hand at the max opening but can to supplied on a strap if requested. DIAL & HANDS The original gold dial is square like the case though it features two finishes, a mirror-like finish at the edges that coordinates with the finishing of the case and a brush-finished center of the dial to create the traditionally styled round shape of the dial. The dial is very well-preserved, especially for a non-waterproof watch of its age, though some gentle elements of age are present throughout and have little effect on the gorgeous look of the watch overall. The original yellow gold hands exhibit some minor loss to the factory black enamel. ACCESSORIES The watch is keeping time, but the service history is unknown. A movement service can be provided upon request.

Historical context

Modern Mechanical Horology (1945 – 1969)

Tool watches for divers, pilots and astronauts; electric watches anticipate the electronic age.

The classic era of the mechanical wristwatch: dive watches, chronographs for motor racing and space flight, GMT watches for jet travel, slim dress watches, automatic calendars, and the rise of Japanese manufacturers alongside Swiss, American, German and Soviet industries.

Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Golden Age of Mechanical Watchmaking

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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