Important Modern & Vintage Timepieces

Geneva, Nov 08, 2015

LOT 79

AUDEMARS PIGUET PIECE UNIQUE MAGNIFICENT JEWELLED AUTOMATON WATCH "BATMAN AND NIGHT AND DAY" YELLOW AND BLUE SAPPHIRE WHITE GOLD Audemars Piguet, Swiss, "Batman and Night and Day - Pièce Unique", movement No. 366996, case No. D 94947. Sold on February 25th, 2002. Extremely fine, unique and magnificent, large, very heavy 18K white gold, diamond, yellow and blue sapphire and lapis lazuli-set hunting cased, keyless watch with bat automaton, set with a total of 38.18 carats of diamonds, 58.67 carats of sapphires comprising 1599 precious stones. Accompanied by the extract from the archives and the Jacot of of Zermatt sales receipt.

CHF 220,000 - 320,000

HKD 1,770,000 - 2,570,000 / USD 228,000 - 331,000

Five-body, polished, the front cover representing daytime entirely gem-set with a yellow sapphire sun (7.49 cts) partially obscured by a diamond-set cloud (10.3 cts), light blue sapphire background (12.86 cts), the back cover representing night with a yellow sapphire crescent moon (2.46 cts), diamond-set cloud (9.66 cts), dark blue sapphire sky (16.24 cts) with diamond-set stars, barrel-shaped single lug set with white diamonds, the terminals set with cabochon blue sapphires, double spiral bow set with shaped baguette white diamonds (7.06 cts), large lobed diamond-set winding crown set with a large cabochon sapphire, double-sided inner case, wide border around the dial set with blue navette sapphires (9.36 cts) within mother of pearl borders to form a stylized flower, pavé set sapphires between, polished band, the other side decorated with a pavé diamond full moon on a lapis lazuli sky set with diamond stars, over the moon a black automaton bat which turns on an axis and moves on a variable trajectory is activated by a slide on the band, inclined border set with blue sapphires intersected by white diamonds, sapphire crystals. Mother of pearl, tapered baguette sapphire hour indexes alternating with tapered baguette white diamonds. White gold baton hands. 16''', extra thin, rhodium plated, fausses cotes decoration, straight-line lever escapement, monometallic balance, self-compensating flat balance spring.


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Grading System
Grade: CHECK
Case: 1

As new
Movement: 1

As new
Dial: 1-01

As new

HANDS Original

Notes

Dial, case and movement signed. DIAM. 56 mm. Made as a unique piece, this extraordinary creation by AUDEMARS PIGUET was purchased in 2002 for 972,000 Swiss Francs. It is set with 1599 precious stones, many specially shaped for the specific decoration of this case. The case is encrusted with 38.18 carats of diamonds and 58.67 carats of both blue and yellow sapphires. The movement was also specially created for this model to allow animation of the bat automaton. The bat is activated by a slide on the side of the inner case much like that of a repeating watch, the bat turns on an axis which is mobile and moves on a variable trajectory over the surface of the pavè diamond moon.