Watches Online

The 1970s quartz crisis—caused by cheap quartz watches produced by some Asian companies— particularly affected the Swiss watchmaking industry. At that time, Audemars Piguet challenged the market. The brand put its trust in Gerald Genta, an independent designer, to create a new style. Genta designed a steel sports watch with a futuristic design, called the Royal Oak. After a year of research and development, the Royal Oak officially debuted at Basel in 1972. At the time, it was the world’s most expensive steel watch. Four Audemars Piguet Royal Oaks are available in the upcoming Watches Online auction, presented by Sotheby’s.

F.P. Journe’s Chronomètre à Résonance watch is another highlight of the auction. Inspired by the work of 18th-century watchmaker Antide Janvier, the brand created a resonance pocketwatch in 1983 and the available resonance wristwatch 17 years later. Chronomètre à Résonance was among the first wristwatches to use the resonance mechanism. Also of interest is a Rolex GMT-Master, which was launched in 1954 for Pan Am Airlines. Explore the full listings and register to bid online on Sotheby’s.