I was lucky to be the first journalist to peruse in person and photograph the majority of the lots part of the Phillips Watches Royal Oak 50th auction at the end of March. You can see all my pictures here. Tomorrow May 6th, the Royal Oak 50th auctionwill take place at the Hôtel La Réserve in Geneva, Switzerland. I think that not only this auction will continue to bring attention to the Royal Oak for years to come, but it will also establish some interesting world records for the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak. First, I am confident that the Royal Oak ‘A Series’ No. 2 will bring the most money despite the watch is non-working condition but aesthetically is pretty much in ‘new old stock’ condition. This particular watch was gifted by the owner of an Italian AP authorized dealer to his brother-in-law who put it in a safe for almost 50 years. Then, I expect that Karl Lagerfeld’s PVD coated Royal Oak ‘Jumbo’ ref. 5402ST brings some serious money.
In my life as an Audemars Piguet collector and scholar studying the Royal Oak, I’ve seen a lot of very special Royal Oaks and Royal Oak Offshores. And even thought WCL holds the largest and most thorough content online about the Royal Oak there are some very special watches from the upcoming sale that I’ve never seen before and that will for sure set new world records at auction.
The sale will include a total of 88 lots but I think there are 20 to 30 watches that are ultra special like the open-worked perpetual calendars in the picture below and those will bring the most money.
Along the Royal Oak Perpetuals, there were several favorites for me. However, there is one example in platinum with a brown dial and with case No. 1 signed by Asprey of London, that is out of this world. I personally like that this watch is in platinum but the dial is the icing on the cake and the Asprey signature on the back is the cherry on top of it. Additionally, having a case for this reference 25654PT with a No.1 on it is unfathomable.
Now, if you like salmon-colored dials, cream, blue, or even red ones, there are a few examples that will leave you in awe. In the mix, there’s a Royal Oak Jubilee ref. 14802ST with salmon dial, a Royal Oak Extra-Thin Jumbo in 18K white gold with salmon dial ref. 15202BC, a platinum Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar ref. 25820PT with salmon dial, a Royal Oak ref. 14790ST with bright red dial —Phillips had sold a similar watch in the past—, and a Royal Oak Date Day aka ‘The Owl’ ref. 25572ST with cream-colored dial signed by Tiffany & Co.
But the two watches that I like the most are a Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar in stainless steel ref. 25820ST with a smooth silver dial with recessed calendar registers —that create the illusion of being domed— and a Royal Oak Skeletonized Tourbillon ref. 26518ST. If you have time, make sure you stop by at Phillips to check out some of these incredible Royal Oaks to die for.
Stay tuned for all the results of the upcoming sale. I can’t wait to see how much money this sale will bring.
For more info on Phillips Watches click here.
