Our perfect timepiece to mark a perfect moment
16 Jun 2022
It is not uncommon that during your watch collecting journey, there will be times where the roles are reversed; where you don't find the watch but it comes to find you.
This was one of those times a couple years ago when my wife was expecting the birth of our firstborn daughter and I was struggling to think of what to get her for a push present.
One day we were randomly browsing a major auction house's previews, not looking for anything in particular, just passing by.
"That looks nice, we could both wear that," she said, pointing to this Audemars Piguet 36mm Royal Oak in two tone gold and steel.
Nah 36mm is too small, I thought. Plus, it's two tone and nobody likes two tone...
The moment I tried it on I knew she was right, like how she always is.
The integrated bracelet elongates the case and dial, making the watch wear larger than what its dimensions suggest. Unlike modern iterations of the Royal Oak, this vintage model from the 80s has a different bracelet design that allows the links to be completely flexible rather than having a fixed angle range of which they can move. This allows the watch to wear much closer to the wrist which elevates the comfort and elegance of the timepiece.
The more I looked at it, I more I felt like this was as close to the ultimate unisex watch as it could be. The marriage of gold and steel paired with the much preferred vintage typography gives the watch a retro look, harking back to the 80s, during which we were both born. The 36mm diameter with the thinness of the case (8mm) is a versatile size that suits either of our wrists.
We were already smitten and the coup de grâce was when we turned over the watch and the serial number was numbered 520: A number that plays on the Chinese language representing I Love You. Game, Set, Match. What better way to celebrate our firstborn than this watch? It felt like it was meant for us. Sometimes the watch comes to you.
We were lucky to win the auction and it has since become one of our most prized possessions because of what it represents. Hopefully one day when we pass this on to our daughter, it will mean just as much to her as it did to us.
This was one of those times a couple years ago when my wife was expecting the birth of our firstborn daughter and I was struggling to think of what to get her for a push present.
One day we were randomly browsing a major auction house's previews, not looking for anything in particular, just passing by.
"That looks nice, we could both wear that," she said, pointing to this Audemars Piguet 36mm Royal Oak in two tone gold and steel.
Nah 36mm is too small, I thought. Plus, it's two tone and nobody likes two tone...
The moment I tried it on I knew she was right, like how she always is.
The integrated bracelet elongates the case and dial, making the watch wear larger than what its dimensions suggest. Unlike modern iterations of the Royal Oak, this vintage model from the 80s has a different bracelet design that allows the links to be completely flexible rather than having a fixed angle range of which they can move. This allows the watch to wear much closer to the wrist which elevates the comfort and elegance of the timepiece.
The more I looked at it, I more I felt like this was as close to the ultimate unisex watch as it could be. The marriage of gold and steel paired with the much preferred vintage typography gives the watch a retro look, harking back to the 80s, during which we were both born. The 36mm diameter with the thinness of the case (8mm) is a versatile size that suits either of our wrists.
We were already smitten and the coup de grâce was when we turned over the watch and the serial number was numbered 520: A number that plays on the Chinese language representing I Love You. Game, Set, Match. What better way to celebrate our firstborn than this watch? It felt like it was meant for us. Sometimes the watch comes to you.
We were lucky to win the auction and it has since become one of our most prized possessions because of what it represents. Hopefully one day when we pass this on to our daughter, it will mean just as much to her as it did to us.