In 1972, following an inspiration from the Italian market that was fiercely requesting a steel sports watch that "did not exist", Audemars Piguet commissioned Gerald Genta to design a luxury sports watch that would differentiate them from any other brands from the time. Some brands were already well established in this field. However, these brands were not recognized for manufacturing "Haute Horlogerie". Thus, Audemars Piguet took the daring decision to produce 1'000 pieces (out of a yearly production of only around 6000 pieces!) of this new model featuring one of the most celebrated calibers ever, the self-winding caliber 2121 with a thickness of only 3.05 mm.
This first series, that is known as the A series, was numbered from A0001 to A2000. Indeed, after having sold out the first 1'000 pieces, the success of this model was such that Audemars Piguet took the decision to increase the production to 2'000 pieces. A new trend was set and in 1976, the first variation of this model appeared on the market.
The present watch deserves a special attention as it retains its original dial and bracelet which are quite rare to find on the market today.
This model is featured in Audemars Piguet Royal Oak by Martin Wehrli and Heinz Heimann, 2012, p. 162-163.