Audemars Piguet has a long line of incredible watches that predate and post-date the Royal Oak. It was only in the last couple of decades that the Royal Oak and the Royal Oak Offshore became the be-all and end-all for the brand. The emphasis has earned AP a reputation as a one-trick pony. The brand was formerly known for its innovations in thin, complicated movements: AP produced the world’s first minute repeater wristwatch, the first jump hour wristwatch, and the first perpetual calendar wristwatch with a leap year indicator. Jules Audemars, one of the manufacturer’s two founders, created a stunning pocket watch for his final project during watchmaking training. At a mere twentysomething, he created a timepiece with a perpetual calendar, moon phase, deadbeat seconds, and quarter repeater complication. Why not tap into the heritage of a Swiss high-horology prodigy when shopping for your next watch?
There are plenty of massively impressive non-Royal Oak APs, but in this article we want to find out what’s available for less than $10,000. You have two main product lines here to look out for, each named after the brand’s founders: There’s the Edward Piguet collection, which comes in square and rectangular cases, and the Jules Audemars collection in round cases. Let’s start with the latter before moving onto the “rare squares,” as I like to call them.
The Jules Audemars Collection
Ref. 14675 – Let’s start simple before getting too complex. The ref. 14675 is a beauty, and what’s special about this watch is the stepped bezel, inky blue leaf hands, and delightful counterweight on the second hand.
Ref. 25574BA – From here we go to the ref. 25574, which takes the same classic styling cues and adds a day-date complication. You’ll also notice this watch has an enamel dial, giving the watch a subtle but distinctive glow that collectors love. Just be careful with it; enamel dials can be a bit fragile.
Ref. 25589BA – At only 8 mm thick, the ref. 25589 from the 1980s boasts an enamel dial and stepped bezel, plus a moon phase. That’s a lot of buzzwords from a “holy trinity” manufacturer for less than $10,000.
Ref. 25685 – My favorite watch on this list may well be the ref. 25685. It features a stepped bezel and enamel dial as we’ve seen before, as well as a date subdial, power reserve indicator, and dual time subdial at 6 o’clock. Those blue leaf hands have made a reappearance, and I want to highlight a special detail: There’s a generous amount of gold across the dial, from the chapter ring and subdial rings to the minute track. Imagine going on a business trip with this watch; it flies under the radar, but is bursting with fine details at the same time. I have no idea why these aren’t more expensive…
Ref. 15056OR – Here, you have a view of Geneva stripes not only through the display case back, but also vertical guilloché striping on the dial. And if you’re not a yellow gold person, you can find white gold variations as well.
Ref. 77252OR – When it comes to guilloché, you may prefer the barley corn pattern on the ref. 77252. This is the smallest watch thus far on our list at about 32.5 mm, but it really sings.
Ref. 14848BC – The deep blue leaf hands are back, as are the counterweight on the seconds and the stepped bezel, this time in white gold: the ref. 14848. The dial is a little busier than average and yet, it reads with clarity. There’s nice balance with just enough going on here. This honestly could make a great daily wearer.
Ref. 25644BA – The final pick from the Jules Audemars collection is this chronograph from the 1980s. It has the same movement setup that was used in some later Royal Oak and Royal Oak chronographs. The ref. 25644 is powered by the 2126 base movement derived from JLC’s 899, which is then fitted with a Dubois Dépraz chronograph module. The caliber is thin enough to keep the overall case thickness to just 11 mm, which is quite slim for a chronograph, especially one with a modular movement. This watch comes in a contemporary 40-mm size, and there are yellow gold and steel options with light or dark dials, depending on your budget. One unique detail about this watch is that the cyclops magnifier over the date is built into the dial instead of the crystal, just like the Royal Oak Offshore.
The Edward Piguet Collection
Ref. 14529 – The square and rectangular portion of this article is going to be a bit shorter because there aren’t as many Edward Piguet models floating around; at least not as many under $10,000. For example, the ref. 14529 is not an easy one to find, but it sure is special. The dimensions of this watch are very similar to a Cartier Tank Louis. We have one listed on C24 currently, and it’s priced under $8,000. Applied hour markers break up the minute track, and you have an open window into the beating heart of the watch, including some engraving on the movement to draw you in even more.
The ref. 14918 is a beauty with a couple different dial styles. There are enamel dials available, and you can occasionally find them in white gold. While the watch is from the 1990s, like so many of these Audemars Piguet models, the design is timeless. The cases measure 29 x 38 mm, so they wear larger than your typical Cartier Tank. And if you’re really patient, you can find them with what are most commonly called diamond-style hands that may remind you of the Longines Dolce Vita.
Similar but all its own is the ref. 15121 with its sumptuous guilloché dial and rectangular case in either white or yellow gold. There’s also a luminescent variety if you’re willing to spend closer to $12,000.
The last angular option is the ref. 14953. There are only two on Chrono24 currently, and they feature a curved rectangular case and a punchy dial that’s reminiscent of a JLC Reverso.
As with the Jules Audemars collection, there are plenty of examples that sell for above our $10,000 limit, including chronographs, perpetual calendars, and tourbillons. Another helpful search tip if you’re digging the rectangular APs: type “Audemars Piguet Tank” into the search bar to see some Cartier competition with a twist.
Conclusions
With this list, you should have more than enough proof that there are plenty of massively impressive non-Royal Oak Audemars Piguet watches for less than $10,000. Of course, this is only the beginning; if you have more than $10,000 to spend, fantastic! You can check out some of their more adventurous case shapes from the 1960s, like the Star Wheel, or the ref. 5548 from 1979. The latter is the watch that is credited with saving Audemars Piguet from extinction during the height of the quartz crisis. It was the world’s thinnest perpetual calendar at the time, and unlike the Royal Oak, it was an instant commercial success. It’s history, it’s horology, it’s a solid gold perpetual calendar, and it costs less than a standard issue Royal Oak. Whichever timepiece you choose, happy hunting!
