Audemars Piguet Yellow Gold Royal Oak Watch Ref. 4100
Brand: Audemars Piguet
Model: Royal Oak
Reference: 4100BA
Year: 1979
Material: 18k YG
Dial Color: Grey
Dimensions: 35 mm
Watch Movement: Self-Winding
Bracelet/Strap: Yellow Gold
Box/Paper: Original Warranty Paper
Condition: Excellent Condition with Very Minor Wear
SKU: 214714
Introduced in 1977, the reference 4100 represented an important early evolution of the Royal Oak. Known within Audemars Piguets archives as the Royal Oak III, it followed the original 39mm reference 5402 and the smaller 8638, settling into a beautifully proportioned 35mm case. Designed by Jacqueline Dimier, the 4100 was also the first Royal Oak to incorporate a central seconds hand.
The present example dates to 1979 and is executed entirely in yellow gold, a particularly rich interpretation of the Royal Oaks famously industrial architecture. Its warm case and integrated bracelet are contrasted by a slate-grey Petite Tapisserie dial, with applied yellow-gold baton indexes and matching hands. The combination is quintessentially late 1970s, retaining the muscular geometry of the original Royal Oak while giving it a distinctly more luxurious character.
The reference 4100BA was offered from the outset in 1977 and produced in considerably smaller numbers than its steel counterpart. Audemars Piguets records indicate that just 386 yellow-gold examples were sold in 1979. The model was powered by the automatic calibre 2123, developed from a Jaeger-LeCoultre base and adapted to accommodate the central seconds indication.
This example is preserved in beautiful condition, with the brushed surfaces of the case, bezel and integrated bracelet remaining notably well defined against their bevels. Particularly appealing is the accompanying original warranty, recording its sale in Rome on January 3rd, 1979. The Italian provenance feels especially appropriate, with Italy becoming one of the most important early markets for the Royal Oak and Audemars Piguets increasingly adventurous designs of the period.
An especially attractive early Royal Oak, this reference 4100 combines the restrained proportions of the 35mm case, a beautifully preserved grey Tapisserie dial and the considerable presence of a fully integrated yellow-gold constructionmade all the more compelling by its original 1979 Italian warranty.
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