Audemars Piguet Cobra ref. 5403BC, Sunburst Blue Dial

Dealer description — Oliver & Clarke

The year 1972 was the advent of what is undeniably Audemars Piguet's most famous, significant, and yes, iconic line of watches, the Royal Oak. It was also the year that the 'high-end dress watch' would forever change. Prior to 1972, ultra-thin and design-focused precious metal watches represented the pinnacle of the genre, not what appears to be an industrial-styled stainless steel sports watch with a bracelet. While the brand never stopped producing traditional dress watches, per-se, production of their new golden goose would dominate the rest of the lineup. And this is after considering that prior to the Royal Oak, AP made far fewer watches to start with... The piece that we have here hails from circa the 1970s, an era when brands like Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, Piaget, and even Rolex were experimenting with design-forward timepieces focused on finishing and opulence. The piece that we have here, colloquially known as a ‘Cobra’ for its woven, serpent-like construction, is a solid white gold dress watch dating to circa the 1970s. It was released just after the original Royal Oak Ref. 5402 and builds on the ultra-thin dress watch race that dominated this era. It even utilizes the very same movement that the Royal Oak did. It is constructed in such a way that the 'woven' bracelet completely encapsulates the mid-case. A true 'bracelet' dress watch. It measures 34mm in diameter at the widest point and like virtually any integrated-bracelet watch, it wears a bit larger than its 'on paper' dimensions would indicate. It also has a white gold crown at 3 o'clock, a screw-down caseback, and that ultra-thin automatic-winding calibre within. The dial is perfectly suited for this piece. Blue in color, it features a sunburst surface with applied diamond indices, a date aperture, and minimal text. It is beautifully-preserved and is tied together with a 'pencil' handset. When these first went on sale, they were positioned higher than not only the steel Royal Oak, but higher than the sold gold Royal Oaks. Compare their position on the market today, and it becomes clear that these remain a bargain despite their resurgence in popularity in the last few years. Stunning, rare, and objectively impressive, this piece is a representation of a bygone era not just for Audemars Piguet, but for what a high-end dress watch used to be. Only in the last few years have collectors and enthusiasts alike started to pay a bit more attention to pieces like these and, we think, its long overdue.