1999 Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Ref. 56303SA in Steel and Yellow Gold – Full Set & New Condition

On the eve of the 1970 Basel Fair, Audemars Piguet commissioned from Gérald Genta, for the following morning, the design of “a steel sports watch never seen before”. Genta obliged: an octagonal bezel with eight visible screws, a “Tapisserie” dial, an integrated bracelet. Presented in 1972 at 3,300 Swiss francs – more than many of the gold watches in the catalogue – the Royal Oak caused a scandal, triumphed, and invented the luxury sports watch. Offered in steel and gold from 1977 and in quartz from 1980, it established steel and gold with a grey dial as a signature of the 1980s and 1990s.
Our example, a “mid-size” 33 mm Royal Oak ref. 56303SA produced circa 1998 (case numbered D78xxx), features a slate-grey dial with the same “Petite Tapisserie” pattern as the original 5402, without a date window, and with applied yellow gold baton hour markers. Its 18-carat yellow gold octagonal bezel echoes the central links of the original integrated bracelet, with its hidden folding clasp; inside beats the extra-thin quartz caliber 2612. The watch has been fully inspected by our watchmakers, and its battery replaced with a new one. A great rarity: never worn and never polished, it reaches us in near-new condition – its original satin finishes, mirror polishing and chamfers intact.
It is accompanied by its Audemars Piguet Certificate of Origin and Warranty stating an initial sale on 10 August 1999 at Sapporo Sogo Co., Ltd., official retailer in Sapporo (Japan) – a business that has since closed –, its octagonal green leather box and its original Royal Oak outer box, as well as our Steel Warranty Card.
An icon designed in a single night and never equalled, the Royal Oak appears here in two-tone form, discreet and of a thoroughly contemporary elegance, in an exceptional state of preservation. Collectors will need no convincing: this is a rare opportunity.

Gérald Genta would tell the story all his life: on 10 April 1970, on the eve of the opening of the Basel Fair, Georges Golay, managing director of Audemars Piguet, telephoned him late in the afternoon – he needed, by the following morning, the design of “a steel sports watch never seen before”, demanded by the Italian market. Genta delivered in a single night. From the divers’ helmets that had made an impression on him as a child, he took an octagonal bezel secured by eight visible hexagonal screws; to this he added a case with finishes alternating satin and polish, a guilloché dial with a “Tapisserie” pattern, and an integrated bracelet tapering towards the clasp. The luxury sports watch had just come into being.

Presented in Basel on 15 April 1972, reference 5402 – 39 mm, a diameter so unusual for the time that it was nicknamed “Jumbo” – caused a scandal: 3,300 Swiss francs for a steel watch, more than many of the gold watches in the catalogue. Its name, suggested by the Italian agent Carlo de Marchi, was borrowed from the eight HMS Royal Oak ships of the Royal Navy – named in memory of the royal oak that hid the future Charles II of England after the defeat at Worcester, in 1651. The reckless gamble turned into a triumph: 490 examples found buyers as early as 1972, a record for the manufacture, and the Royal Oak would carry Audemars Piguet through the quartz crisis.

The collection expanded from the late 1970s: a first women’s model in 1976, designed by Jacqueline Dimier; an intermediate size and the first steel and gold versions in 1977; the first quartz calibers in 1980. The combination of steel and yellow gold, set off by a grey dial, became one of the most recognisable signatures of the 1980s and 1990s. Our reference 56303SA belongs to this lineage: a 33 mm “mid-size” Royal Oak – a diameter that wears in a very contemporary way – powered by a quartz caliber and free of the date window, for a perfectly uncluttered dial.

The example we have the pleasure of offering, produced circa 1998 (case numbered D78xxx), features a slate-grey dial with the same “Petite Tapisserie” pattern as the original 5402, punctuated by applied yellow gold baton hour markers and swept by matching hands. The 18-carat yellow gold (750 ‰) octagonal bezel echoes the central gold links of the original integrated bracelet, whose hidden folding clasp signed Audemars Piguet preserves the continuity of the design; the caseback, for its part, is engraved “Royal Oak Quartz”. Inside beats the extra-thin caliber 2612 – 1.9 mm thick, for a precision in the order of two minutes per year according to the manufacture. The watch has been fully inspected by our watchmakers, and its battery replaced with a new one. A great rarity for a Royal Oak of this generation: ours has never been worn, never been polished, and reaches us in near-new condition. The demarcations between the satin/brushed and mirror-polished surfaces are incredibly sharp, and the original chamfers remain perfectly intact. The yellow gold has even developed a beautiful, warm and uniform surface oxidation – clear evidence that no one has used this watch for many years!

It is accompanied by its Audemars Piguet Certificate of Origin and Warranty stating an initial sale on 10 August 1999 at Sapporo Sogo Co., Ltd., official Audemars Piguet retailer in Sapporo (Japan) – a business that has since closed –, its octagonal Audemars Piguet box in green leather and its original Royal Oak outer box, as well as our Steel Warranty Card.

An icon designed in a single night and never equalled, the Royal Oak appears here in two-tone form, discreet and of a thoroughly contemporary elegance, in an exceptional state of preservation. Collectors will need no convincing: this is a rare opportunity.

This Audemars Piguet Royal Oak reference 56303SA is preserved in superb overall condition. In truth, a state of preservation such as one encounters only on very rare occasions, on a model where, precisely, everything comes down to the finishing.
The watch has indeed never been polished: the demarcations between the satin-finished surfaces and the mirror-polished chamfers, which make up all the difficulty – and all the beauty – of a Royal Oak, are incredibly sharp, from the case to the smallest links of the (long) bracelet. The yellow gold has even developed a beautiful, warm and uniform surface oxidation, attesting that no one has used this watch for many years.
The slate-grey “Petite Tapisserie” dial is immaculate, and the caseback engravings are perfectly crisp, as on the very first day. Only a slight loss of luminescent material (tritium-based) in the hands is visible, without in any way diminishing the pleasure of everyday wear.
Everything here points to a watch that has never been worn, evidently kept intact since its initial sale in 1999. It has been fully inspected by our watchmakers, and its battery replaced with a new one.
An ideal example, in condition close to absolutely new.

All the watches available on our website have been meticulously inspected by our team of experts to guarantee their authenticity and originality.

All our watches are systematically checked for mechanical function and precision, and undergo a complete overhaul if necessary.

Every watch sold is covered by a two-year warranty.

Find out more about The Amplitude° Guarantee.

We ship all watches ordered on our website free of charge worldwide.

Any customs or import duties/taxes are the responsibility of the buyer.

Amplitude uses several specialized and secure carriers, depending on the destination of each parcel and its contents (Malca Amit, Ferrari, FedEx, etc.).

We are used to shipping watches all over the world, including to Europe, the United States and Asia. Find out more about Shipping & Deliveries at Amplitude.