The iconic Audemars Piguet reference 6001, which we look at in more depth here. This is AP’s first quartz watch.
The model we offer is the most desired one in steel with blue petit tapisserie dial. The watch has been produced in a total of 350 examples. Within this number we find steel, white gold and yellow gold examples.
The Audemars Piguet reference 6001 runs on the caliber 2510 which is derived from the Omega Megaquartz. Accurate to a few seconds per month, which can be adjusted for on the case side.
It has taken a while for collectors to come to appreciate watches from this period, which is understandable. What to make of these quirky oversized pieces among their elegant predecessors. They were seen as a curiosity more than anything else. However they form an essential chapter in the development of the swiss watch industry. Now that collectors are diving deeper and deeper into the history of brands these can no longer be overlooked. All the early Beta 21 watches have seen increased interest. Watch collecting offers a view into the past, and what narrative is complete without looking at the quartz crisis? These watches show what brands were doing in a period of great uncertainty about the future. They offer a glimpse of the future as it was imagined in the 1970’s. It is a testament to AP’s willingness to innovate under pressure. It’s a bridge between the old age Geneva watchmaking and whatever was to come next. They have that undeniable 70’s DNA.
This is one of the best examples around and complete with its original box, which is even rarer than the watch. The dial is very clean with light patina forming around the markers, which we see on all examples from this production. If you would like to know more about this watch, please send us a message.
