Audemars Piguet Lapis Dial, 1970s

Dealer description — Analog/Shift

Why We Love It This slim and elegant piece couldn't be any further removed from the bulky brute of the Royal Oak Offshore line that the brand is perhaps most commonly known for amongst today's collectors. Featuring a 31mm x 33mm 18k yellow gold case and matching woven 18k integrated bracelet, this dress watch dates to the 1970s and serves as a window into the mindset of a pre-Royal Oak Audemars Piguet, who once excelled at making ultra-thin, ultra-svelte dress watches. The party piece of this watch however, beyond the very prevalent presence of gold, is the gorgeous and minimalistic Lapis stone dial. In excellent and untouched condition throughout, this is as much a historical horological treasure as it is an infinitely interesting timepiece with its stunning stone dial. Absolutely outstanding. Must be seen to be believed! The Audemars Piguet Story There are certain watches that define a brand, informing its design ethos and becoming nothing short of iconic in the minds of collectors. For Audemars Piguet, that watch is the Royal Oak—in all its multitudinous incarnations. Yet the manufacture from Le Brassus did not earn its seat in the triumvirate of leading watch brands—the so-called Big Three—on the success of the Royal Oak alone. In fact, both Jules Audemars and Edward Piguet came from long lines of watchmakers, and made their reputations long before the Royal Oak was conceived. Their reputations rested on their ability to create incredibly elegant timepieces in numerous styles. Though they may not have had catchy names like the Royal Oak, or boasted complicated movements like the present-day Jules Audemars collection, their vintage dress watches nevertheless captures the attention to detail that Audemars Piguet has come to be known for.