AUDEMARS PIGUET, YELLOW GOLD PERPETUAL CALENDAR WRISTWATCH, REF. 5548BA CASE...
CIRCA: 1980s
CASE MATERIAL: Yellow gold
CASE DIAMETER: 36 mm.
DIAL: White
MOVEMENT: Automatic
FUNCTIONS: Perpetual calendar, moon phases
BUCKLE: Yellow gold Audemars Piguet buckle
BOX: No
PAPERS: No
Lot Essay
When it was launched in 1978, Audemars Piguet’s Reference 5548 was the thinnest perpetual calendar wristwatch on the market. Developed by a team of engineers at AP as a secret side project, the movement was based on the reliable Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 920. The introduction of an automatic perpetual calendar at the height of the Quartz Revolution was a daring move by the brand, as traditional Swiss watch manufacturers were facing an existential threat from more affordable and reliable Japanese quartz watches.
The Reference 5548 bears the ‘Swiss’ marking on its dial, rather than the ‘Swiss Made’ designation found on later examples, introduced around 1982. The reference was eventually succeeded by the Reference 25657.
Designed by Jacqueline Dimier, who had also designed the first mid-size Royal Oak, Reference 4100, in 1977, the Reference 5548 was remarkably slim, measuring 36 mm in diameter and less than 8 mm thick. Its caseback features a circular brushed finish on the central ring, surrounded by a grained-finish section. The case is distinguished by a double-stepped bezel and short lugs, allowing the watch to sit comfortably on the wrist. It is believed that approximately 2,183 examples of this reference were produced, the majority in yellow gold.
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CIRCA: 1980s
CASE MATERIAL: Yellow gold
CASE DIAMETER: 36 mm.
DIAL: White
MOVEMENT: Automatic
FUNCTIONS: Perpetual calendar, moon phases
BUCKLE: Yellow gold Audemars Piguet buckle
BOX: No
PAPERS: No
Lot Essay
When it was launched in 1978, Audemars Piguet’s Reference 5548 was the thinnest perpetual calendar wristwatch on the market. Developed by a team of engineers at AP as a secret side project, the movement was based on the reliable Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 920. The introduction of an automatic perpetual calendar at the height of the Quartz Revolution was a daring move by the brand, as traditional Swiss watch manufacturers were facing an existential threat from more affordable and reliable Japanese quartz watches.
The Reference 5548 bears the ‘Swiss’ marking on its dial, rather than the ‘Swiss Made’ designation found on later examples, introduced around 1982. The reference was eventually succeeded by the Reference 25657.
Designed by Jacqueline Dimier, who had also designed the first mid-size Royal Oak, Reference 4100, in 1977, the Reference 5548 was remarkably slim, measuring 36 mm in diameter and less than 8 mm thick. Its caseback features a circular brushed finish on the central ring, surrounded by a grained-finish section. The case is distinguished by a double-stepped bezel and short lugs, allowing the watch to sit comfortably on the wrist. It is believed that approximately 2,183 examples of this reference were produced, the majority in yellow gold.
Estimate
Time, Location
Auction House
