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Audemars Piguet Ultra-Thin Dress Watch in 18k Yellow Gold Two-Tone Dial, mid 1980s — view 1 of 6
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Wristwatches · Wristwatch

Audemars Piguet Ultra-Thin Dress Watch in 18k Yellow Gold Two-Tone Dial, mid 1980s

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.
Maker / attribution
Audemars Piguet (maker)
Date
mid 1980s
Country of origin
Switzerland
Object type
Wristwatch
Materials / technique
18k yellow gold
Dimensions
Case 64 mm
Stock no.
w-3052
Credit line
Dealer listing, Bulang & Sons (w-3052)
Catalogue title (original)
Audemars Piguet Ultra-Thin Dress Watch in 18k Yellow Gold Two-Tone Dial (English)

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

Record summary

Catalogued by Bulang & Sons (dealer), Copenhagen (stock number w-3052), this is a wristwatch by Audemars Piguet, made in Switzerland, dated mid 1980s. The Atlas places it in the Quartz Revolution period (1969 – 1990) of its Wristwatches collection. Materials and techniques recorded by the source: 18k yellow gold. Recorded dimensions: Case 64 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 — Bulang & Sons

We love offering you rare and unique timepieces, and today we’re excited to present a beautiful, incredibly romantic dress watch — and from none other than Audemars Piguet! Long before the iconic Royal Oak, Audemars Piguet was already renowned for crafting incredibly thin and elegant dress watches. This particular model is powered by the AP Caliber 2003, a movement based on a Jaeger-LeCoultre base and also shared with Vacheron Constantin. When it was introduced in 1946, the Caliber 2003, at just 1.64mm thick, was the world’s thinnest mechanical watch movement. The fine, thin 18k yellow gold coin-edge case is in superb condition, with a lovely 33mm sizing. The dial is, we think, the showstopper — featuring a grainy off-white color on the inner rim and a brushed silver ring with black-painted Roman numerals, no lume, and blued leaf-style hands. The watch is fitted with the photographed strap and an 18k yellow gold AP pin buckle. It has been fully serviced by our watchmaker. Our team is ready to assist you with any questions and to help you make this classy dresser your own! Specifications: - Audemars Piguet dress watch - 33mm 18k yellow gold coin-edge case - c55xxx serial dating to the mid-1980s - Off-white/silver dial with Roman numerals - No lume, blued hands - Caliber 2003 “ultra-thin” manual wind movement - Comes on the pictured strap and AP 18k gold buckle - Fully serviced by our watchmaker

Historical context

Quartz Revolution (1969 – 1990)

Seiko's Astron begins mass quartz timekeeping; traditional industries contract sharply.

Quartz and digital watches transformed the market after 1969. Swiss employment collapsed, Japanese and Hong Kong production soared, and the Swatch (1983) helped the Swiss industry recover; mechanical watches survived as luxury goods.

Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Modern Mechanical Horology

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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