Audemars Piguet, Solid 18k Ultra Thin, 34mm

An Audemars Piguet 18k Ultra Thin from the early 1960’s. 33mm without the crown. Manual wind AP cal. 2003.

A 1960’s quintessential and versatile design from Audemars Piguet, and at the time, the absolute pinnacle of Swiss watchmaking. The well crafted 18k yellow gold case featuring the Poincons de Maitre key #23 was produced by Eggly & Cie and measures 33mm. It looks larger thanks to the combination of its thin bezel and big dial overture. These features, combined with its almost impossible thinness, make for a very interesting piece to look at, and beautifully comfortable to wear.

The deep champagne coloured, satin finished dial is extremely attractive with its black Roman numerals. The cleverly designed handset with a recess, causing the illusion of a darker central spine, therefore matching the weight and colour of the individually hand-painted painted numerals beautifully.

This watch is powered by the manually wound calibre 2003, which was developed by Audemars Piguet and Jaeger-LeCoultre with some help from Vacheron Constantin, in 1953. It was based on the caliber 9ML, developed in 1938, and measures only 1.64 mm thick. This legendary calibre was in production until the early 2000s. Despite its small size, this movement is quite the powerhouse.

A Personal Note:-

This piece amazes me every time I handle it, for the thinness of the case alone. An incredible piece of design and engineering for the price. It is a thing of undeniable quality, very refined & sophisticated.

Condition:-

This piece is in very nice vintage condition and extremely pleasing to the eye. The case shows only minor signs of careful use, with the stick lugs retaining almost all of their factory shape, unlike other examples I have recently seen which have been over-polished. The top surface is polished and the sides brushed as they should be. The reference number, serial and hallmarks remain intact.

Overall, the dial, handset and plexiglass are in lovely shape.

It is worth noting that at some point in its life the dial has been re-finished, as was very common for these particular vintage pieces during the 70’s and 80’s. Mainly due to their fragile nature, but also due to a general lack of appreciation for ‘patina’ in those days. A lack of water resistance made these dials prone to damage, oxidation, staining and general deterioration. So historically, when a watch went in for service, watchmakers would often repaint the dials to make the watch look new again.

All of the above has been taken into account when pricing this piece, with completely untouched examples not only being incredibly difficult to find, but also far more costly.

Movement:-

There is no known service history with this watch. However, the movement is running well, and keeping good vintage time. The inside of the caseback does have various markings showing evidence of previous servicing. The crown is the original item, winds and functions perfectly, as one would expect.

I guarantee the authenticity and the working order of this piece at the time of sale, and will offer a 3 month extended warranty. Please don’t rely on this piece being waterproof. It is not warrantied as such.

‍*This piece will be supplied on a beautiful ‘The Strap Tailor’ Slimline Saffiano, hand-made strap & gold coloured buckle of your choice.