VIDEO: Hands-on with the AP Royal Oak A2 and the black magic of Karl Lagerfeld’s customised watch

Fergus Nash

For a lot of watch collectors, a watch’s condition is everything. Every minuscule scratch on a watch knocks off a little bit of value, and before long you may struggle to even wear it with pride, let alone sell it. For an archive or a museum, however, the condition means nothing compared to the story that the watch tells. Seeing an incredibly rare and valuable watch that’s absolutely beaten to hell is one of my greatest satisfactions, knowing that it’s been thoroughly enjoyed throughout its lifetime. For those watches to be acquired by their manufacturer’s collections is a good fate, too, ensuring that their legacy is protected and no harm can come to them.

Phillips held an auction earlier this year in May to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak’s release, shining a light on some of the most incredible references from across the model’s entire lifetime. It should come as no surprise that Audemars Piguet themselves were in attendance, and certainly had the cash to splash when it came to two of the most significant listings.

The first and most significant of the listings was an original Ref 5402ST from 1972, which would already be a very desirable watch, except this one bears the serial number “A2”. Being the second Royal Oak ever made, this watch will only ever be outshone by one other, and the “A1” isn’t likely to come up for sale any time soon. Phillips estimated a price between 200,000-400,000 CHF. It ended up selling for 1,058,500 CHF.

The next sale has a much more mysterious background, although all of the research points to it being owned by renowned fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld. The late creative director of Coco Chanel had his Royal Oak coated in a black PVD, which over the decades has worn gracefully. Phillips estimated a conservative price between 100,000 – 200,000 CHF, but it sold for 937,500 CHF – perhaps not surprising for an AP with such a celebrity connection. To see live footage and hear more about these watches, check out the video of Andrew’s visit to Audemars Piguet HQ.