Tropical 1980s Audemars Piguet Royal Oak (Ref. 4100ST) W/ 2021 Service Papers

First unveiled by Audemars Piguet in 1972 the Royal Oak ref. 5402, designed by Gerald Genta, was the most expensive steel watch ever made. The early 1970s was a time of great change within the watch industry. Audemars Piguet was shaking the standards by introducing a luxury watch in steel that was oversized and pushed the boundaries of the current design trends of the era. This risk had obviously paid off as the steel Royal Oak is the perfect balance between utilitarian function and timeless design. The case and bracelet are excellently finished, with angular, beveled, and polished edges. The polished screws, bezel, and case edge fantastically contrast with the brushed surface of the case and bracelet to make for one of the most intriguing watches to come out of the era. 

Shortly after the release of the ref. 5402 we see the introduction of the second Royal Oak iteration, the ref 4100. Created by AP to help propel the Royal Oak to a more accessible population with its smaller size of 35.5mm in case diameter. The 4100 featured the cal. 2123 automatic movement which was based on the Jaeger-LeCoultre cal. 888. The 4100 still closely resembled the 5402 with the exception of the 4100 featuring a center sweep seconds hands and its overall size. During the early 80s, the Audemars Piguet started referring to the ref. 4100 as ref. 14100 on its certificates marking a transitional era for AP from 4-digit references to 5-digit, though the watch received virtually no changes aesthetically.