Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Quantième Perpétual Platinum BNIB: Extremely Rare Royal Oak: 25820PT.OO.0944PT.01 Start Price USD 69,995.00 Current Price USD 69,995.00 Time Left - Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Wednesday, July 02, 2008 End Time Saturday, July 12, 2008 Location Spokane, Washington See more about 'Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Quantième Perpétual Platinum' Description Hello All:Up for your consideration is my BNIB and extremely rare Audemars Piguet, “Royal Oak” Quantième Perpétual Calendar with Moon Phase indicator, in Platinum/Platinum. This is Audemars Piguet Reference: 25820PT.OO.0944PT.01, and it weighs a ton…!!Every time I fit a Royal Oak to my lower arm, I am drawn to the same conclusion…the RO transforms me. It makes my stomach look flatter, my chest appear broader and my feet bigger. This is proven scientifically, you know…!In reality, if you’ve been watching the Royal Oak trends these last five years, you will undoubtedly be drawn to some real-world conclusions, instead.First and foremost, the Royal Oak series is extremely popular. This has much to do with their near divine aesthetic. AP’s perfectly formed octagon seems to be metaphysically pure in its construct. A subliminal ability to realign Chakras can almost be imagined here…!The next reason, while more prudent, also helps drive this popularity: In their various iterations their retained value, and appreciation remains among the highest within the elite “Manufactures” of Haute Horology.Witness any genus of the Offshore Rubber Clad and this last fact is amplified. Specifically, look at what is happening with the Titanium Rubens Barrichello. How about the Alinghi Polaris, or the dyslexic-dialed Shaq Offshore. The list of AP timepieces selling for more than their original MSRP is long, and growing.Along the classical Royal Oak front, a conservatively serious and highly educated audience drive the market for timepieces with complications ranging from Power Reserve to Minute Repeater. These pieces are traditionally offered in the two main rare metals; Gold and Platinum. At times they are offered in Stainless Steel or Titanium…sometimes even a bi-metal mixture, or a material even more esoteric. In any event, they have always been considered wise investments.Into the noble Platinum waters is where we dive today. Head first…!!The solid Platinum Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar reaches critical mass without being corpulent…okay, it’s a little corpulent. That’s only because of the half-pound, 950-PT ingot, this Adonis on bracelet was cast from.Regardless, the stunning 39 mm x 9.5 mm Perpetual doesn’t appear heavy. It only feels heavy. However, once on your wrist a perfect balance between the solid Platinum bracelet ,and the solid and magnificently sculpted Platinum case make the weight feel curiously absent.As collectors of exceptional timepieces know, Platinum disguises its corpulence in a private manner. Platinum guards its aristocratic secret in a noble shroud, only to be shared with its owner and his horology. Let others think they are looking at mere Stainless-Steel. Frankly, the opinion of others mean precious little. Reveling in this privileged charade, now that’s gratifying…!!It’s in these moments, while wearing your Platinum Royal Oak, that you’re reminded of the deific avoirdupois that only Platinum can convey. For a brief instant your wrist feels a little heavier, and it is good…!!Let’s now talk of what makes this glorious Perpetual tick.Inside the dual sapphire protected sarcophagus beats the fabled Audemars Piguet Cal. 2120/2801-2. This is their automatic, 38-ruby masterpiece, spinning unerringly at 19,800 VPH, and storing over 40-hours of power. This combined Audemars Piguet, Patek Philippe and Vacheron et Constantin funded movement was finalized by Jaeger-LeCoultre.At the time of the 2120’s creation, AP was a major owner of JLC. Since JLC’s sale to Richemont, and to further cement Audemars Piguet’s status as an elite “Manufacture” the tooling and production of the 2120 was moved to their facility; Renaud and Papi, in Le Locle. Today, the seminal 2120 is considered by most to be one of the finest movements created for a modern timepieces.Elaboration of the 2120/2801-2 is incredible. Beveled and polished plates, base plate in Perlage and bridges with côtes de Genève are absolutely sacred. The 22K-tipped and skeletonized automatic rotor is hand engraved in a delicate and original floral chevron and Roman-wreath pattern. The deep facets that the artisan precisely etched, gather and disperse light in a most dazzling panoply.This praiseworthy execution of such an illustrious movement may seem unnecessary. It matters little, as such a superficially splendid undertaking no doubt makes this beautiful movement perform better…!!As if by some horological sorcery, the Quantième perpetually measures the Gregorian calendar with zero input from its owner. As an example, the need of adjustment for 28 to 31-day months, and leap year fluctuation are preprogrammed. As are the days, and months throughout the year. And remember, this is an automatic, mechanical timepiece…!!Calendar display arrives to you via the three northern Tri-Compax sub dials, all of which use mirror-polished Platinum baton hands. The fourth sub-dial, at six-o’clock, is actually an aperture of synodic nature…a moon phase disc that rotates beneath a scalloped window, keeping you abreast of current moon cycles…Cool…!!For timekeeping purposes, two Platinum hands point to nine matching Platinum baton markers, and three elevated stipples. These segments-of-twelve create a pleasant mixture upon the wonderful dial, and are each raised, and precisely applied. As a backdrop, nano-inches beneath the obvious and balanced dial mechanics, is a palette that I originally perceived to be “Crinkled Guilloche.” The Austere-Blue dial is however termed Tapisserie. The magnificent hue-stretching texture of this dial has a way of showing relief that is exemplified in such artistic works of rare hand-woven tapestry as “Le jour et la nuit” by Jean Picart le Doux. The three sub dials are of simple, if I dare, Guilloche. A grandiose dial for sure…it is absolutely Edenic…!!A bit of trivia: A rare entelechy await the new owner or returning collector of any Audemars Piguet. Within a specific Audemars collection, for instance, one of their models of repeated design, a unique difference between two seemingly analogous pieces will be perceptible. The differences may be slight, but they are absolutely true. This fact is privately celebrated within Piguet’s walls in the village of La Brassus, and by AP’s small legion of aficionados, as each of their elite timepieces carry with them the knowledge of distinctiveness.The uniquely inspired Royal Oak Quantième is at once dignified, rare and warm…traits that lend versatility to this sumptuous timepiece. Worn in the boardroom, the professional echelon will nod in appreciation. Worn to Morton’s, the maitre d’, with equal cognition, will also nod…no doubt to a ready table…!!Two-hundred-million years from now, our biological survivors will be cockroaches dining on Velveeta cheese. Some of the most robust, and certainly the finest remaining mechanical survivors, wristwatches for this doomsday scenario, will be from such houses of Audemars Piguet, Rolex, JLC, IWC, Patek Philippe, and Vacheron.Manufactures that have defined, changed and inspired the watch industry. These mechanical gems are today, at the peak of the gear-driven food chain. As for the Royal Oak Perpétual…well…the surviving cockroaches will be posing, arched back no less, in the latest glossy magazines, wearing the most urbane Peruvian-alpaca sweaters, showing only a hint of the Royal Oak under one of their eight cuffs…how cosmopolitan…! They too will look marvelous…!!This AP is Brand-New. The Platinum case and matching Platinum bracelet are flawless…all hallmarks look freshly struck. The mesa-flat sapphire crystal and the never-removed sapphire and Platinum exhibition window are just as flawless. All complicated functions operate as they should, plus there are four rapid adjusters, built into the sides of the case, for when you forget to place Oak on the winder. Timekeeping has been AP precise. All complicated calendar functions operate with typical Swiss precision, and are an absolute treat to watch.The stunning single-fold AP deployant deserves special notice here; each curved and solid Platinum leaf is cut and sculpted from PT-950 billet. The elongated form of the “A” and the “P” is created artistically, yet strengthened in its combined side-by-side unison. This extra step is so impressively unnecessary…you’ll love it…!!As for Super-Luminova, the meretriciously luminescent green coating should never be seen in a Platinum timepiece as elegant as this. It is wonderfully absent here.The Royal Oak Quantième in it’s various styles of metals, dials and bracelet types are produced in very limited numbers. This number is inscribed upon the caseback. Mine wearing “Series Number” 122. In Platinum, no more than 25 of these RO’s are produced in a given year.All goodies follow this Audemars Piguet. They include both boxes, operating manual, service center manual, hang tag with matching numbers, correcting stylus and the full manufactures two-year warranty.Gaining entry into the fabled house of Audemars Piguet complicated timepieces has always required a firm investment.As an aside: The dealer cost for Audemars Piguet’s with complications is 5% more than the rest of their non-complicated models. These AP complicated pieces are not only harder for the dealer to obtain, they are also substantially more expensive when he is fortunate enough to get one.The suggested retail for the “Royal Oak” Quantième Perpétual in this iteration is: $111,500. My “Buy-It-Now” price is a true horological gift.The payment terms are as follows; PayPal (Confirmed Only), cashier’s check, money order, wire transfer or personal check (clearing time).Please note: Along with the above forms of accepted payment, I am also happy to accept the three main credit cards; Visa, Master Card and American Express.Insured UPS "Second-Day Air" shipping will be Free to anywhere in the USA. Insured international shipping to most other countries will be Free as well.I respectfully ask that zero-feedback bidders please contact me prior to bidding.I am happy to answer all questions. Please feel free to call: 201-816-2559.Finally: With my new format I will be consistently showcasing more and more elite timepieces from Switzerland, so please take a look at my other auctions while you’re here. Thanks for looking and good bidding all.Peace,Phil Place a Bid!