Audemars Piguet Royal Oak

rare B-series Royal Oak, reference 4100ST, c. 1979
Case: stainless steel, numbered B29815/974, width c. 35 mm,
Movement: self-winding, lever movement with striped décor, numbered 186547, calibre 2123, 33 stones, rotor weight gold 875
Dial: black, ‘Clous de Paris’ design, date, central second
Accessories: box, extract from the archives, folding fastening, safety bow. The seals are in need of repair.
In 1971, designer Gerald Genta was commissioned to create an elegant, yet sporty, steel wristwatch. Within a day, he created a design reminiscent of early diving helmets with screwed-in windows. The watch had an octagonal bezel with hexagonal screws and a dial with a tapestry pattern. The name is also based on its nautical design, inspired by the story of King Charles II of England and eight warships of the Royal Navy. The Royal Oak was born. The Swiss patent was registered in 1971, and in 1972 also in the USA. This model was presented to the public for the first time on the occasion of the Basel Fair. Audemars Piguet produced the A series until 1974. Subsequently, 1,000 items of the B series were manufactured. The watch achieved cult status, not least due to prominent watch collectors such as Arnold Schwarzenegger (who wore an AP Royal Oak in Terminator) and the Shah of Persia Reza Pahlavi. The watch offered here is from this series, as confirmed by the current archive extract dated 10.06.2021. Over the years, many new variants have been developed. The original models repeatedly achieve top prices at auctions.
Specialist: Günter Eichberger