Audemars Piguet Calatrava 18k Ultra Thin 1970s

Audemars Piguet

In the Vallée de Joux — cradle of Swiss high horology — two young watchmakers joined forces in 1875. Their names were Jules-Louis Audemars and Edward-Auguste Piguet. From that moment on, Audemars Piguet has remained fiercely independent, family-owned, and uncompromising in its vision of what fine watchmaking should be.

Among the elite houses of horology, AP is the rebel artist. Innovative, daring, and forever rewriting the rules of design and engineering. In the 20th century, they were the first to create minute repeaters in wristwatch form. But it was in 1972 that Audemars Piguet changed watchmaking forever — with the birth of the Royal Oak.

A steel sports watch. With visible screws. An octagonal bezel. And a level of finishing usually reserved for gold. It was radical. Audacious. And in time, it became iconic.

Today, vintage watch collectors consider early Royal Oak references among the most desirable timepieces in the world. But the brand’s legacy runs deeper than one model. AP has always walked the fine line between artistry and technical prowess — whether through skeletonized perpetual calendars, ultra-thin tourbillons, or experimental case materials that push what a vintage watch can be.

To wear an Audemars Piguet is to wear confidence. It is for the collector who appreciates the avant-garde but demands heritage. Someone who seeks boldness, but never at the cost of substance. Someone who chooses a vintage watch not because it follows the rules — but because it rewrites them.

Audemars Piguet doesn’t just make watches. It creates icons that break molds — and then hand-finishes them to perfection.

Because tradition isn’t meant to be preserved under glass. It’s meant to evolve — beautifully, fearlessly, and with purpose.