
Wristwatches · Wristwatch
Audemars Piguet Ladies Cocktail Watch in 18K White & Yellow Gold W/ Sapphire Set Bezel "Cal. K2001", 1950s
- Maker / attribution
- Audemars Piguet (maker)
- Date
- 1950s
- Historical period
- Modern Mechanical Horology (1945 – 1969)
- Country of origin
- Switzerland
- Object type
- Wristwatch
- Materials / technique
- yellow gold
- Dimensions
- Case 29 mm
- Stock no.
- AP18KYWS
- Credit line
- Dealer listing, Craft & Tailored (AP18KYWS)
- Catalogue title (original)
- 1950s Audemars Piguet Ladies Cocktail Watch in 18K White & Yellow Gold W/ Sapphire Set Bezel "Cal. K2001" (English)
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Record summary
Catalogued by Craft & Tailored (dealer), Los Angeles (stock number AP18KYWS), 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: yellow gold. Recorded dimensions: Case 29 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 — 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 rare and devilishly attractive 29mm Audemars Piguet cocktail watch is set in 18K yellow gold with an 18K white gold bezel that is inlaid with sapphire stones at each hour marker. 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 # AP18KYWS Brand Audemars Piguet Style Cocktail Watch Model N/A Serial 58XXX Size Ladies/ Unisex Material 18K Yellow Gold / 18K White Gold W/ Sapphires Dial Silver "Aged" Millimeters 29 Strap Black Velvet AP Strap W/ 18K YG AP Tang Buckle CASE & BRACELET The 18K yellow gold case exhibits gentle signs of use and minimal evidence of previous polishing. The hallmarks remain deep and fully present throughout. The 18K white gold bezel is also in very well-preserved condition, as are the inlaid sapphire stones at each hour. The watch comes supplied on a gently used vintage black velvet Audemars Piguet strap with an 18K yellow gold Audemars Piguet tang buckle. DIAL & HANDS The original silver dial has achieved a lovely warm patina and exhibits some expected elements of age and subtle markings throughout the dial, however, for the age of the watch we would consider the dial to remain in great vintage condition that retains a very charming aesthetic. The yellow gold hands are original and remain in excellent condition. 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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