Three Vintage Audemars Piguet Ladies' Watches: A History Lesson in Gold, Pearl and Diamonds
Three Vintage Audemars Piguet Ladies' Watches: A History Lesson in Gold, Pearl and Diamonds
When most people hear Audemars Piguet, they picture the Royal Oak. But for nearly 150 years, AP has also made some of the world's most beautiful women's watches. Three vintage pieces from the David and Sons Timepieces collection show why.
A brief history
Audemars Piguet was founded in 1875 in Le Brassus, in Switzerland's Vallée de Joux, by Jules-Louis Audemars and Edward-Auguste Piguet. Farming families in the valley made watches through the long winters, and women were part of that craft from the start, finishing and assembling parts at home.
AP designed for women early on, creating a ladies' bracelet watch in 1889. Through the twentieth century, its women's watches became a canvas for jewelry: small gold cases, diamond bezels and precious dials.
When cheap quartz watches upended Swiss watchmaking in the 1970s and 1980s, AP thrived by making watches that were about more than telling time. Designer Jacqueline Dimier, who joined in 1975, reimagined AP's ladies' watches, and slim quartz movements made small, gem-set cases possible. All three watches here come from that tradition.
The vintage yellow gold diamond and ruby
This 26mm yellow gold piece is framed by a double row of diamonds, with ruby hour markers on a mother-of-pearl dial and a marquise-cut ruby at the crown. The shimmering pearl, white diamonds and deep red rubies make a classic jewelry pairing, finished on a raspberry crocodile-pattern leather strap. A quartz movement keeps it slim and ready to wear.
The Carnegie ref. 14943OR
The Carnegie, a discontinued AP dress line dating back to the 1980s, is known for graceful shaped cases. This one has a 25 x 32mm tonneau case in gold with a diamond-set bezel and lugs, and a mother-of-pearl dial with diamond hour markers and blued hands. On a burgundy leather strap, it balances everyday elegance with evening glamour. It has an automatic movement, comes with its original Audemars Piguet box.
The Facettes ref. 67491BC
Facettes means "facets," and the case lives up to its name: an 18k white gold hexagonal case, 21 x 25mm, with stepped diamond-set bezels that catch the light from every angle. The fully paved version of this reference carried 890 diamonds. This example pairs a diamond bezel with a mother-of-pearl dial, diamond markers and a white satin strap. It runs on a quartz movement, comes with its original Audemars Piguet box and papers.
Why they matter
Each of these watches pairs mother-of-pearl with diamonds and reflects AP's belief that a woman's watch should be both a precise instrument and a piece of fine jewelry. The diamond and ruby piece is warm and romantic, the Carnegie graceful and classic, the Facettes crisp and architectural. As collectors look beyond the Royal Oak, pieces like these offer genuine Audemars Piguet craftsmanship at a fraction of a modern Royal Oak's price.
All three have been inspected by a watchmaker and include a one-year David and Sons warranty. To see more or ask about any of them, contact David and Sons Timepieces
If you are interested in these three Audemars Piguet pieces we would be happy to assist. Please find the watch you are looking for on our website using the link below.
