Audemars Piguet Military Dial Royal Oak, ref. 14790ST, 2001 — view 1 of 6 — View 1 of 6 · Image: Grey & Patina · original image source (opens another website in a new tab)

View 1 of 6 · Image: Grey & Patina · original image source (opens another website in a new tab)

Wristwatches · Wristwatch

Audemars Piguet Military Dial Royal Oak, ref. 14790ST, 2001

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.

Maker / attribution: Audemars Piguet (maker)
Date: 2001
Historical period: Mechanical Renaissance (1990 – 2010)
Country of origin: Switzerland
Object type: Wristwatch
Materials / technique: Stainless Steel
Dealer: Grey & Patina (dealer), Los Angeles
Stock no.: No 3629
Credit line: Dealer listing, Grey & Patina (No 3629)
Catalogue title (original): 2001 Audemars Piguet 14790ST Military Dial Royal Oak (English)

View the source record (dealer listing) ↗ (opens another website in a new tab)Suggest a correction

Record summary

Catalogued by Grey & Patina (dealer), Los Angeles (stock number No 3629), this is a wristwatch by Audemars Piguet, made in Switzerland, dated 2001. The Atlas places it in the Mechanical Renaissance period (1990 – 2010) of its Wristwatches collection. Materials and techniques recorded by the source: Stainless Steel. 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 — Grey & Patina

Description : Audmars’ more modern dial offerings are arrayed in a suite of utility; by making steel precious and luxury discreet, the Royal Oak has always been the luxury sports segment’s herald and paradigm. The Military Dial equipped 14790 is equally rare and rich as it is utility-rated. Radially displayed burgeoning arabic characters are positioned outbound on the matte black dial, broadsword hands and heavily cantilevered seconds arrow sweep the face, while a potent luminova powers the indices. This famed utility is animated by AP’s Cal. 2225, an automatic movement hoisted within a 36mm by 8.1mm frame. A face made to be easily read and case designed to be easily worn. Our example has been masterfully polished, a brush and finish that leaves the white gold screws undisturbed, whose bright chamfer descends evenly into the caseflank. As the beveling continues onto the integrated bracelet, the taper between each link retains a smooth and undisturbed factory feel. The once almost-matcha lume of the indices and hands has churned into soft creme. Case : 36mm stainless steel whose polish remains even throughout Bezel : Longitudinal satination contrasted by highly polished chamfer, white gold screws remain undisturbed Dial : Matte military black, soft creme colored markers and hands Bracelet : Integrated H-Link

Historical context

Mechanical Renaissance (1990 – 2010)

Mechanical watches return as cultural objects; independent watchmaking flourishes.

Mechanical watches returned as cultural and luxury objects. Complications, tourbillons and new materials proliferated; independent watchmakers such as George Daniels, F.P. Journe and Philippe Dufour revived artisanal watchmaking; collecting vintage watches became a major field.

Read the period in the timeline More wristwatches from this period Earlier: Quartz Revolution

Atlas type guide

Military, pilot and travel watches

The wristwatch owes much of its adoption by men to warfare and aviation. Wristlets — small pocket watches soldered with lugs and worn on a strap — were used in colonial campaigns and became standard equipment in the First World War, with protective grilles over the crystal ('shrapnel guards'). Louis Cartier's Santos (1904), designed for the aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont, is often cited as an early purpose-made pilot's watch.

In the Second World War governments specified watches in detail: the German B-Uhr observation watches, the American A-11, and the British 'W.W.W.' (the 'Dirty Dozen' set of 1945). After the war, jet travel brought GMT and world-time watches, which show two or more time zones at once — Louis Cottier's world-time mechanism and the Rolex GMT-Master (1955) are examples.

What to look for

Military markings on the case back: broad arrow, issue numbers, 'W.W.W.', 'A.T.P.'
High-legibility black dials with luminous Arabic numerals; oversized crowns for gloved hands.
24-hour hands and rotating 24-hour bezels or city rings on GMT/world-time watches.
Wire lugs on early wristlets converted from pocket watches.

Dating clues

Wire-lug wristlets: c. 1900–1925.
Military specifications of the Second World War: 1939–1945.
GMT and world-time wristwatches: mainly after 1950.

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.

Mechanisms mentioned

Self-winding (automatic) mechanism — Component

Record completeness

Maker or attributionRecorded
DateRecorded
Place or countryRecorded
MaterialsRecorded
DimensionsNot in source
Narrative descriptionRecorded
Inscriptions / marksNot in source
ProvenanceNot in source
Several photographsRecorded

Editorial status: Documented — facts as published by the source; not independently verified by Atlas editors.

Explore further

Sources & image rights

Record source: Grey & Patina (dealer), Los Angeles (opens another website in a new tab).

Image rights: © Grey & Patina — dealer photographs; permission required (opens another website in a new tab).

Images are hosted by the Atlas for study and credited to their owner. Rights holders may request correction, credit changes or removal, or grant permission, via the editorial office.

Cite this record

"Audemars Piguet Military Dial Royal Oak, ref. 14790ST, 2001." Grey & Patina (dealer), Los Angeles, No 3629. Catalogue record in The Horology Atlas, WatchMuseum.org, https://atlas.watchmuseum.org/museum/audemars-piguet-military-dial-royal-oak-ref-14790st-2001-25d6a3.