
Wristwatches · Wristwatch
Audemars Piguet Tantalum and Rose Gold Two Tone Royal Oak, ref. 14790TR, 1994
- Maker / attribution
- Audemars Piguet (maker)
- Date
- 1994
- Historical period
- Mechanical Renaissance (1990 – 2010)
- Country of origin
- Switzerland
- Object type
- Wristwatch
- Materials / technique
- Tantalum
- Stock no.
- Product 30843
- Credit line
- Dealer listing, Grey & Patina (product 30843)
- Catalogue title (original)
- 1994 Audemars Piguet 14790TR Tantalum and Rose Gold Two Tone 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 Product 30843), this is a wristwatch by Audemars Piguet, made in Switzerland, dated 1994. The Atlas places it in the Mechanical Renaissance period (1990 – 2010) of its Wristwatches collection. Materials and techniques recorded by the source: Tantalum. 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
The 14790tr is the mid size Royal Oak coming in at 36mm. Don’t let the size fool you, as these wear slightly larger than their size may suggest. We think these are the ideal sized Royal Oak’s and Audemars likely thought the same as they introduced the mid size Royal Oak’s as the feedback on the jumbo 5402 Royal Oak that came before it wore too big for most people? The Exotic material featured on this mid sized Royal Oak would have you believe you were wearing something completely Gold due to the Tantalum material. The coloring of the tantalum and rose are rarely seen in the watch world and something Audemars is quietly known for. The dial is a slate grey matching the Tantalum material and has begun to patina a bit around the markers and gives a bit of soul to an otherwise very industrial looking watch. Dial: Slate grey Bezel: Rose gold Case: Excellent condition
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 timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Quartz Revolution
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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