Audemars Piguet Vintage Skeleton Automatic, 18K White Gold, Diamond Bezel, Oman Khanjar Emblem, 33mm

Diamonds, white gold and a movement pierced into a filigree of engraved bridges would make this vintage Audemars Piguet skeleton automatic remarkable on their own. Its provenance adds another dimension: the watch is attributed to the special commissions made for Oman under Sultan Qaboos bin Said, its Khanjar emblem placed unusually on the crystal, hovering above the mechanism.

The Piece

Few chapters in twentieth-century watch collecting carry the magnetism of the watches commissioned for the Sultanate of Oman. During the reign of Sultan Qaboos bin Said, specially commissioned watches from the great Swiss manufactures were presented to officials, dignitaries and favored recipients, many distinguished by the national Khanjar emblem. This Audemars Piguet belongs to that rarefied tradition according to its provenance.

The 18K white-gold case, approximately 33mm, surrounds a completely openworked automatic movement whose bridges and plates have been transformed into an intricate golden lattice, keeping the mechanical train constantly visible. The extensively hand-finished movement is characteristic of Audemars Piguet's celebrated ultra-thin skeleton watches of the late twentieth century: engraved gold, ruby jewels and gears, with contrasting black hands preserving legibility for hours and minutes. A brilliant-cut diamond bezel surrounds the movement and extends subtly along the upper surfaces of the lugs, beneath a sapphire crystal.

This example was specially produced for the Sultanate of Oman and is distinguished by the royal Khanjar, or crossed-swords, emblem positioned on the crystal. Surviving Omani commissions show Audemars Piguet producing special watches associated with Sultan Qaboos, including skeletonized watches carrying the Khanjar emblem and watches supplied through Asprey in London; this example is particularly unusual because the emblem is associated with the sapphire crystal rather than the more familiar placement on a dial or automatic rotor. The watch is presented on a black leather strap.

Audemars Piguet, founded in Le Brassus in 1875, built a reputation for complicated and finely finished watches long before the Royal Oak made it a global design icon, and began developing its pioneering ultra-thin openworked automatic watches in the early 1970s. Its skeletonization was never decoration applied to an ordinary movement: plates and bridges were pierced, engraved and finished until only the structural minimum remained, turning mechanical engineering into negative space. Here that tradition meets precious metal, diamonds and royal-commission collecting, a niche prized because it joins horology with cultural and diplomatic history.

Details

• Maker: Audemars Piguet
• Line: Vintage skeleton / openworked
• Era: Late twentieth century
• Origin: Switzerland
• Material: 18K white-gold case; brilliant-cut diamond-set bezel extending onto the upper lugs; sapphire crystal
• Dial: Openworked movement visible in place of a conventional dial; black hands; Khanjar / crossed-swords emblem on the crystal
• Measurements: Case diameter approx. 33mm
• Movement: Automatic mechanical skeleton, extensively hand-finished
• Functions: Hours and minutes
• Strap: Black leather
• Attribution: Sultanate of Oman special commission
• Included: Watch only

Condition

Japonista grade AB · Very good, with light wear visible on close inspection.

• Vintage pre-owned, graded AB: very good, with light wear visible on close inspection.
• Photographs show expected signs of age and previous handling consistent with a vintage luxury wristwatch; case, diamond bezel, skeletonized movement, crystal, crown and strap should be reviewed closely in the photographs, which form an important part of the description.
• Offered as shown. As with any vintage mechanical watch, future servicing, timing adjustment or maintenance may eventually be required depending on use.

Authenticity & Care

Attributed to a special Sultanate of Oman commission, with the Khanjar emblem on the crystal identified as its distinguishing feature; the watch is offered without box or papers. Every piece is examined and documented in Japan before dispatch and is offered with the Japonista authenticity guarantee.

Delivery from Japan

Packed by hand in Japan and shipped insured and tracked by EMS or an equivalent express service. Import duties and taxes, where applicable, are payable on arrival. Returns follow our published policy.

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