1987 Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Day Date With Moonphase Ref. 25594

Why This Watch Matters

An all-gold Royal Oak with calendar complications in crisp condition – what more could you want?

The Full Story

The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak is the definitive luxury sport watch. We won't bore you with all the details surrounding its genesis at the hands of Gérald Genta in 1972, but if there's one thing to take away from its origin, it's this: Often imitated, never duplicated, there's nothing quite like a Royal Oak on the wrist. It's even fair to say that the popularity of the Royal Oak – distributed equally among enthusiast circles and the Jet Set – kickstarted the luxury sport watch trend that's taken over 21st-century watch design.

Audemars Piguet has created countless variations of the Royal Oak over the decades, including this variant, which features the day, the date, and the moonphase in a 36mm yellow gold case. The ref. 25594 features the classic elements of the original Royal Oak, including the tapissere dial, the integrated bracelet, and the iconic octagonal case design, but it features the addition of day and date sub-dials and a moonphase display at six o'clock. Along with the moonphase-less brother ref. 25572, collectors have come to refer to this pair of Royal Oaks as the "owls" thanks to their owl eye-like sub-dials. 

This model offers a bit of a unique take on the traditional Royal Oak form, and its solid gold execution is quite stunning in person. The case on this example is in excellent condition with some scratches but notably an unpolished look with a ton of patina and oxidation. It is hard to portray just how warm and vintage feeling this case is in photos – it truly must be experienced on the wrist. The addition of a creamy dial tone and the earlier "block font" Audemars Piguet signature all comes together to create a great look. Due to the 36mm case diameter, this watch would be a great fit for all genders or even to share with a significant other!

The example is accompanied by its original papers which indicate a sale on October 5th, 1987 at Kirchhofer in Interlaken, Switzerland.

The Fine Print

What We Love And What You Should Know

Things We Love:

- Honest, unpolished case and bracelet with a warm patina
- Creamy dial tone
- 36mm classic Royal Oak case in 18k yellow gold

Things To Know:

- Scratches on case and bracelet
- Bracelet to fit 7-inch wrist

This Royal Oak is in overall excellent, honest condition. The case is extremely strong and unpolished with light scratches throughout. The scratches on the bezel surface are more noticeable here in the product photos than in reality. The caseback markings are all crisp.

The dial is in great condition with a light patina overall that presents as a creamy tone. The lume on the dial and on the hands has developed patina and tuned a dark yellow, somewhat creamy tone. The hour marker and hands have developed patina.

The bracelet is in good condition with light scratches and very little stretch. The dial, case, crown, movement, and bracelet are all signed by Audemars Piguet. This watch was photographed on a 175mm/ 6.9inch wrist.