Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar 25554

cayenne1200 · 2018-10-05T00:20:43Z

Discover the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Ref. 25554 in stainless steel. A collector's journey to find this rare vintage timepiece.

cayenne1200

WPS member · Audemars Piguet forum

41 replies6774 views5 photos

cayenne1200 shares the culmination of a long and dedicated search for a specific Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar. His post details the journey to acquire the rare stainless steel Ref. 25554, highlighting the thrill of the hunt and the satisfaction of finding a piece in exceptional condition. This article offers a glimpse into the passion and perseverance of high-end watch collecting.

Many months ago I’ve met a collector friend from Italy for dinner. He wore a watch that I had never seen before but that impressed me immediately. I knew at that very moment that I wanted this model for my watch collection too.

The hunt began and during the following months I’ve seen several later versions, not so good examples, examples not in the right metal, etc. But then I’ve heard about a collector who was intending to sell his watch and I was curious if this would be the watch I was looking for. And indeed, it was a direct hit!

All this is about an AP Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar from the very first series, ref. 25554, appr. 1983-1986. AP says that from this reference 279 pieces had been made, 239 in YG, 49 in SS and 1 piece in PT. I was lucky enough to find one of the few SS watches in like perfect condition.

AP has never really been „my“ watch brand but this Royal Oak is killing me 😄

Key Points from the Discussion

The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Ref. 25554 is an exceptional find, especially in flawless condition, with many pieces of this reference having been retailed in Italy.
Later versions of the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar, like the Ref. 25820ST, feature a leap year indicator, slightly different indices, and a sapphire caseback with an engraved rotor.
Early series Royal Oak Perpetual Calendars are considered underrated, and the condition of the bezel, specifically the gap from the hexagon screw housing to the edge, can indicate if it has been over-polished.
The dial of the Ref. 25554 is praised for its clean layout, where the letters and numbers on the subdials maintain a consistent orientation.
The Ref. 25554 is a rare model, with only 279 pieces produced across all metals: 239 in yellow gold, 49 in stainless steel, and 1 in platinum.
The size of the Ref. 25554 is considered perfect by some, contributing to its overall appeal.

The Discussion

Oct 5, 2018

I didn't know that reference, but it's a beauty. Very nice find and huge congrats on successfully concluding your search. If I may ask, what is the case diameyes? M4

DoesNotTickTock

Oct 5, 2018

ABSOLUTE STUNNER! CONGRATS!

Brego

Oct 5, 2018

I love these Perpetual Royal Oaks. They are perfect in every way. Wear it in good health .

Gelato Monster

Oct 5, 2018

congratulations for a very special piece

Pretty Boy

Oct 5, 2018

I wish AP’s modern RO PCs still had that perfect 39 mm diameter. Best, Volker

@openworked

Oct 5, 2018

It’s in absolutely flawless condition too. Amazing find you have! I found mine in Italy as well, it appears to mostly (exclusively?) have been retailed there. Mine has the reference 25820ST and is one of the later versions (with leap year indicator and slightly different indices). Immediately when I saw the silvered dial I knew that I wanted this special piece. It also has the sapphire caseback with the AP engraved rotor as seen on many other references from the same time period, early 2000s. Fe

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Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar 25554

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