Important Collectors Watches, Pocket...
Geneva, Oct 14, 2007
LOT 95
?Royal Oak Tourbillon Chronographe? Audemars Piguet, Genève, "Royal Oak, Tourbillon Chronograph", No. 555911, case No. F 03648, Ref. 25977ST. Made in limited numbers, circa 2000, sold in December 2005. Accompanied by a magnifying loupe. Very fine and important, large, water-resistant, stainless steel wristwatch with visible one-minute tourbillon regulator, round button chronograph, register and a stainless steel Audemars Piguet bracelet with concealed deployant clasp. Accompanied by a mahogany fitted box, certificate and booklet.
CHF 100,000 - 120,000
EUR 60,000 - 75,000 / USD 85,000 - 100,000
Sold: CHF 141,000
C. Three-body, polished and brushed, transparent case back with 8 screws, octagonal bezel with 8 hexagonal white gold screws, protected screwed-down hexagonal winding-crown and pushers, sapphire crystals. D. Black checkerboard pattern with applied luminous white gold indexes, subsidiary dials for the seconds, the 30-minute register, aperture for the tourbillon regulator under a polished steel bridge at 6. Luminous white gold "baton" hands. M. Cal. 2889, rhodium-plated, "fausses côtes" decoration, 25 jewels, lateral lever escapement with one-minute tourbillon regulator, monometallic balance adjusted to heat, cold and 5 positions, self-compensating Breguet balance-spring. Dial, case and movement signed. Diam. 47 mm. Thickness 13 mm.
| Grading System | |
|---|---|
Grade: |
|
Case: 2 |
Very good |
Movement: 1 |
As new |
Dial: 1-01 |
As new HANDS Original |
Notes
This model was produced in a limited edition of only 150 watches ?30 pieces in 2002, 60 in 2003 and 60 in 2004.
It is one of Audemars Piguet?s most complicated watches and their most innovative model. Entirely developed and built by AP?s subsidiary Renaud & Papi, the ?CW 1? concept watch celebrates 30 years of ?Royal Oak? history and breaks new ground with its highly unusual technical features: electro-erosion formed titanium shock absorbers to protect the tourbillon cage; a clutch system with mode pusher and indicator to wind the watch or to change the time; titanium movement plates, which are light yet strong and an innovative linear powerreserve indicator, which is calibrated for the number of turns the barrel makes (one barrel rotation equals circa 6 hours of operation). The watch case is machined from Alacrite 602, a new super-alloy used in aero-technology and medical applications. It consists of 57% Cobalt, 31% Chrome, 5% Tungsten and trace amounts of Carbon, Silicon and Iron. The material is extremely hard (Vickers Rate of 430) and difficult to work with, especially on such a challenging case design like the ?Concept? watch. The CW 1 gives testimony to Audemars Piguet?s horological audacity and highlights the fact that after 30 years of production the iconic ?Royal Oak? still continues to surprise us with innovative features both technically and esthetically.