About Audemars Piguet
From the Vallée de Joux to the Royal Oak
Audemars Piguet was founded in 1875 in Le Brassus, in the Vallée de Joux, by Jules Louis Audemars and Edward Auguste Piguet. It is one of the few major Swiss houses still owned by the founding families. For a long time the brand was known above all for complications: repeaters, calendars and chronographs. In 1972 the Royal Oak, designed by Gérald Genta, changed that picture: a steel sports watch with an octagonal bezel, eight visible hexagonal screws, an integrated bracelet and a Tapisserie dial, at a time when a luxury watch was taken to be made of gold. The larger Royal Oak Offshore followed in 1993, and the Code 11.59 collection in 2019.
What we check on an Audemars Piguet
A Royal Oak is a watch of details, and that is where the inspection begins. The Tapisserie dial must be crisp and regular, the bezel screws should be aligned, and the alternation of brushed and polished surfaces on case and bracelet must be right. It is precisely this finishing that gives away inexpert polishing: rounded edges and blurred transitions are not a detail on a Royal Oak. We compare the reference and serial number on the caseback with the certificate, look at the calibre through the display back where there is one, and test the movement, including start, stop and reset on a chronograph. On a Royal Oak Offshore we pay extra attention to the pushers and the crown. Whatever we find is stated.
Models we offer and look for
Demand centres on the 41 mm steel Royal Oak: the 15400ST, the 15500ST and the current 15510ST. Collectors look for the extra-thin “Jumbo”, as the 15202ST or the 16202ST. Among the chronographs it is the 26331ST and the 26240ST, and in the Offshore line the 26470ST, the 26470OR in pink gold and the Offshore Diver. For a smaller wrist there is the 37 mm 15450ST. If your reference is not online, we can search for it.
Buying, selling and trading in
You buy an Audemars Piguet from us through a request without obligation; we confirm availability personally, and payment by bank transfer only follows once you agree. Delivery is insured or by appointment. You can sell outright, on consignment or as a trade-in. With a Royal Oak, the condition of the finishing and the completeness of the set weigh heavily in the assessment, so please send clear photographs of the case and bracelet and state which documents you have. Every request is assessed by hand, and a proposal only follows afterwards. The Aequator Collection is an independent dealer and not an authorised Audemars Piguet retailer.