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Lot Essay
An iconic creation of the Audemars Piguet manufacture, the Royal Oak 5402BA stands among the most collectible luxury sports watches ever produced. The Royal Oak was created for a sophisticated and well-informed clientele by the renowned Gérald Genta, whose model he would later refer to as the pinnacle of his career. It eventually went beyond its initial provocation to become the manufacturer's enduring emblem.
When the first stainless steel Royal Oak reference 5402 was introduced in 1972, it was renowned for selling for more than any gold watch that Audemars Piguet was selling at the time. With the release of the Royal Oak reference 5402BA in yellow gold in 1977, the manufacturer further refined the idea and produced a sports watch that embraced the richness of a precious metal while maintaining the durability and architectural integrity of the original design. Only 736 of the yellow gold 5402BA were produced between 1977 and 1990, making it one of the rarest and most sought-after of all the first-generation Royal Oak 'Jumbo' models. There were various dial variations of the reference that were occasionally improved with gem-setting.
The present timepiece was sold during the very first year of the model’s 13-year production run. In 1977, only 95 examples were delivered. It is further distinguished by the presence of the Audemars Piguet logo at 6 o’clock, a highly desirable early feature, as the logo was later repositioned to 12 o’clock on subsequent examples. This detail firmly places the watch among the earliest and most sought-after executions of the yellow gold Royal Oak Jumbo.
When the first stainless steel Royal Oak reference 5402 was introduced in 1972, it was renowned for selling for more than any gold watch that Audemars Piguet was selling at the time. With the release of the Royal Oak reference 5402BA in yellow gold in 1977, the manufacturer further refined the idea and produced a sports watch that embraced the richness of a precious metal while maintaining the durability and architectural integrity of the original design. Only 736 of the yellow gold 5402BA were produced between 1977 and 1990, making it one of the rarest and most sought-after of all the first-generation Royal Oak 'Jumbo' models. There were various dial variations of the reference that were occasionally improved with gem-setting.
The present timepiece was sold during the very first year of the model’s 13-year production run. In 1977, only 95 examples were delivered. It is further distinguished by the presence of the Audemars Piguet logo at 6 o’clock, a highly desirable early feature, as the logo was later repositioned to 12 o’clock on subsequent examples. This detail firmly places the watch among the earliest and most sought-after executions of the yellow gold Royal Oak Jumbo.