Case width: 24mm The gold bezel is notched out with a fluted gold crown. The bracelet is an 18k gold textured mesh bracelet with the AP logo of Audemars Piguet on the folding clasp. Dial: A cushion shaped, champagne colored metal dial with applied elongated gold and onyx hour batons, all of equal length and the twelve of double width. There are steel baton hands and the dial is enameled Audemars\Piguet above and Swiss at the base. Movement: Self-winding, original, genuine and functioning. 20 jewel nickel plate lever movement, signed and numbered by Audemars Piguet. CONDITION: Case – Case and bracelet appear to be excellent. Dial: Pristine. Overall condition is excellent. HISTORY: It was 1875 when Jules Louis Audemars joined forces with Edward Auguste Piguet. They worked together to develop watches equipped with complex mechanisms and precision still found in the watches today. Both men were working independently on watches before combining their skills. Audemars was creating complicated blank watch movements for manufacturers to fit. Piguet was performing the final regulation on watches and was self-employed. They continued the split responsibilities when they formed the company; Audemars was in charge of production and technical aspects while Piguet focused on sales and management. In 1892, the gentlemen were working on the development of the first minute repeater wristwatch. The “Grande Complication” pocket watch was released in 1899, featuring 7 different complications. The watch featured grand and small strike and minute repeater on a set of three gongs, an alarm striking on a different set of gongs, perpetual calendar, deadbeat seconds, and chronograph with jumping seconds and split-seconds hand. When Audemars and Piguet passed away in 1918 and 1919 respectively, the company still continued to grow and become more famous. The company has always had members of both families leading them towards success, even today. These years brought about many new additions to the Audemars Piguet innovation list. In 1915, the smallest 5-minute repeater calibre was made, with a size of just 15.8mm. Only 10 years later, the company created the thinnest pocket-watch calibre at only 1.32mm. The first skeletonized pocket watch was produced in 1934, and in 1946 came the thinnest wrist watch. The first Audemars Piguet wristwatch with a perpetual calendar was introduced in 1957 and in 1967 the thinnest self-winding calibre with a central rotor was released at only 2.45mm. Royal Oak model - The first steel high-end sports watch was introduced in 1972, forever revolutionizing the brand. The watch, which still features the same design today, featured an octagonal steel bezel and white gold screws. This production helped raise steel to the rank of precious metal in regards to luxury watches. The Royal Oak was redesigned in the late 1980’s when designer Emmanuel Gueit introduced a sketch that shows a substantial watch able to handle the forces of nature. The new design was ultimately called the Royal Oak Offshore, after receiving support by the Joint Chairman of Audemars Piguet at the time. Audemars Piguet has continued on their development path and in 2000, while celebrating their 125th anniversary, their first model with Equation of time, sunrise, sunset and perpetual calendar was released. To this day, Audemars Piguet watches are still meticulously handcrafted and designed by watchmakers. Every edge is hand beveled and the sides are retouched again by hand to eliminate any trace of imperfection.
Unknown, although I did have AP do some work on it, i.e., cleaning.
Hello Doug,
Thank you for sending in this wristwatch to mearto.com for an appraisal. I shall try to help you with that today.
TITLE:
Ladies, 18k yellow gold, vintage, self-winding, mechanical movement, square cushion shaped wristwatch with integral textured 18k gold mesh bracelet, both made by Audemars Piguet, Switzerland circa 1975-1980.
DESCRIPTION:
Case: The width of the “face” is provided as being 21.25mm, but face is not a watch term and I am uncertain whether you mean the case width or the dial width (I will assume you mean the dial. The square cushion case width may be approximately 24mm in this ladies model. (The men’s model was 34mm square.) The gold bezel is notched out with a fluted gold crown and the back cover is not shown. The bracelet is an 18k gold textured mesh bracelet with the AP logo of Audemars Piguet on the folding clasp. “Watch band approx. 6.5 inches long, watch band (4/5) of an inch wide, watch band approximately (3/20) of an inch thick”. The bracelet attaches directly to the watch case and is not removable.
Dial: A cushion shaped, champagne colored metal dial with applied elongated gold and onyx hour batons, all of equal length and the twelve of double width.
There are steel baton hands and the dial is enameled Audemars\Piguet above and Swiss at the base.
Movement: Not shown but would most likely be a self-winding, 20 jewel nickel plate lever movement, signed and numbered by Audemars Piguet.
CONDITION:
Case – Case and bracelet appear to be excellent although the back of the case is not shown.
Dial: Pristine.
Movement: Not shown but I will assume it is original to this case, genuine and functioning.
Overall condition is excellent.
HISTORY:
It was 1875 when Jules Louis Audemars joined forces with Edward Auguste Piguet. They worked together to develop watches equipped with complex mechanisms and precision still found in the watches today. Both men were working independently on watches before combining their skills. Audemars was creating complicated blank watch movements for manufacturers to fit. Piguet was performing the final regulation on watches and was self-employed. They continued the split responsibilities when they formed the company; Audemars was in charge of production and technical aspects while Piguet focused on sales and management.
In 1892, the gentlemen were working on the development of the first minute repeater wristwatch. The “Grande Complication” pocket watch was released in 1899, featuring 7 different complications. The watch featured grand and small strike and minute repeater on a set of three gongs, an alarm striking on a different set of gongs, perpetual calendar, deadbeat seconds, and chronograph with jumping seconds and split-seconds hand. When Audemars and Piguet passed away in 1918 and 1919 respectively, the company still continued to grow and become more famous. The company has always had members of both families leading them towards success, even today. These years brought about many new additions to the Audemars Piguet innovation list. In 1915, the smallest 5-minute repeater calibre was made, with a size of just 15.8mm. Only 10 years later, the company created the thinnest pocket-watch calibre at only 1.32mm. The first skeletonized pocket watch was produced in 1934, and in 1946 came the thinnest wrist watch. The first Audemars Piguet wristwatch with a perpetual calendar was introduced in 1957 and in 1967 the thinnest self-winding calibre with a central rotor was released at only 2.45mm.
Royal Oak model - The first steel high-end sports watch was introduced in 1972, forever revolutionizing the brand. The watch, which still features the same design today, featured an octagonal steel bezel and white gold screws. This production helped raise steel to the rank of precious metal in regards to luxury watches. The Royal Oak was redesigned in the late 1980’s when designer Emmanuel Gueit introduced a sketch that shows a substantial watch able to handle the forces of nature. The new design was ultimately called the Royal Oak Offshore, after receiving support by the Joint Chairman of Audemars Piguet at the time.
Audemars Piguet has continued on their development path and in 2000, while celebrating their 125th anniversary, their first model with Equation of time, sunrise, sunset and perpetual calendar was released. To this day, Audemars Piguet watches are still meticulously handcrafted and designed by watchmakers. Every edge is hand beveled and the sides are retouched again by hand to eliminate any trace of imperfection.
SIMILAR LADIES COMPARABLES:
~https://www.barnebys.com/realized-prices/lot/a-lady-s-18ct-gold-wristwatch-audemars-piguet-MpP4-wFtcH (offered in 2020 for sale in South Africa and reached $9735 and was withdrawn)
~https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/80933562_audemars-piguet-18k-montre-philosophique-watch (An 18k gold and diamond ladies dress watch, vintage with heavy gold bracelet sold for $2100 in 2020)
~https://www.barnebys.com/realized-prices/lot/rare-ladies-18k-gold-audemars-piguet-royal-oak-r-40CM3EcpC (Vintage Royal oak ladies watch with heavy gold bracelet sold in 2019 for $4641)
~https://www.barnebys.com/realized-prices/lot/18k-yellow-gold-ladies-audemars-piguet-dress-watch-U_kQPNDsH (ladies gold bracelet watch sold in 2013 for $2000)
~https://www.barnebys.com/realized-prices/lot/audemars-piguet-a-yellow-gold-wristwatch-6EB-G8EOEH6 (Men’s gold oval self-winding watch made for tiffany reached $5644 in 2020)
~https://www.barnebys.com/realized-prices/lot/audemars-piguet-18kt-white-gold-vintage-watch-hZV8w6QQS (Square cushion men’s 18k white gold watch sold in 2017 for $5500)
GOLD VALUE:
38.2 GMS OF 18K GOLD x .750 = 28.65 GMS OF PURE GOLD (24 k) CONVERTED TO OUNCES = 0.92 OUNCES OF PURE GOLD x $1,717.44 (TODAY’S PRICE) = $1580 LESS 15% RETAILER FEE = $1343 TO THE SELLER.
PRICING:
I am going to ignore the fact that one of the watches matching your example almost reached $10000 in South Africa. I consider that single auction to be an outlier and not indicative of the value of this watch today. The watches listed in the comparables have the same amount (approximately) of gold and many have the same movement, and I would be much more influenced by prices bought in North America and Europe. I believe that this fine ladies watch in its current excellent condition would have a fair market value in today’s demanding watch market in the range of $4000-$5000 with retail values being about twice that amount.
I hope you enjoyed reading this appraisal. It would have helped to see the back cover and even the movement would have helped.
Thank you for choosing mearto.com for this appraisal. I enjoyed doing it and enjoyed seeing your watch.
My best,
David
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