Audemars Piguet

To the service facility in Clearwater, Florida, for an overhaul. I suspect that it will ultimately head from there to Le Brassus, but we'll see. I have owned this watch for about seven years now. I bought it from a dealer in New York, who had in turn (and I have no reason to disbelieve him) purchased it from an employee of the Henri Stern agency. I presume that the dial and crown were replaced at some point by AP, since I believe this is a very early example ... the really sharp-eyed may notice the particularly interesting serial number on the case back. I have asked AP to confirm the watch's date of manufacture when they service it.

I am a lousy photographer, but wanted nonetheless to share a couple of pictures of my favorite watch.

Cheers,
Garrett

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and Garret,

i don´t like to make you unsure about your Royal Oak, but if it is possible, first contact Le Brassus to talk with them about your watch

and send them pictures - but also only the number from caseback must be enough , so that they can look at there "books".

I think it was, when leaving the factory, a 5402 - but not the steel version. From the number on the caseback I believe it was

a 5402 SA (stell/gold-version).

After there answer you have to decide what to do with the watch.

I only write this, because you payed for the watch and you have to pay a lot of money for the service.

 

regards

 

Stephan

The same thought had occurred to me, given the number on the case back.  I find that unlikely, though, for two reasons: (1) the replacement parts (dial, hands, bezel, bracelet) would presumably have to have come from AP and I can't imagine the company would agree to "convert" a watch in that manner and (2) the cost for those parts would presumably have been quite high, and the work done at a time when it would have been just as easy to buy an original steel 5402.  I remember a time when steel 5402s in good shape could easily be obtained for a few thousand USD ... why would someone have gone to so much trouble to convert the watch?

I will be curious to see what AP says.  I understand that the records at the company do not support the production of "pre-A" 5402s, but I put my faith in the memories of the "old timers" at the company who originally said otherwise ...

Kind regards,
Garrett


This message has been edited by grkyle on 2012-01-06 05:27:53

and you are right regarding at the parts and cost. Perhabs you saw my posts here in the forum.

Belive me - it is not my intention to be the only one who knows the right details about the 5402, but

i worked hard to compare all what was writen about, checked every foto in the internet and get in contact

with everyone and every owner, who can help to seperate the wrong information from the right.

Not all facts are clear and i also posted in german forum and enregister a lot of 5402 - there i became

a answer to my post with pictures. The owner gave me the caseback-number from his C-series. His watch

had a correct case with original "5402-stell-modell - engraving" but it was a 5402 SA "steel/gold model in all

details - the 100% opposite from your version.

 

Please give me / us information, what AP will tell you - and the most important thing is:

Whatever is the real historic fact about your watch, get in love with your RO and than one evening, when you

look at your watch on your wrist wirth a glas of red wine, your RO will also be happy with the caring owner

and will twinkle to you - for a short moment you will think about "was ist the late sunshine on the dial",

 "was it the red wine"   or   "was it your RO"

 

regards from Germany

Stephan

 

Hope you get it back soon.