The dials of the early Royal Oak, the reference 5402, are known to develop imperfections over time. Yet, this defect can also turn into an attractive phenomenon, as evidenced here. When homogenous, the aging can turn into a cool tropical fade, giving the dial an orange tone. The placement of AP at 12 demonstrates that this example does not belong to the most coveted Series-A, which always exhibits the AP logo at six o’clock. The seller describes it as a later B-series, while a later C-serie seems more consistent with such a 12 o’clock configuration. He also indicates that his Royal Oak underwent service at AP a year ago, which can give the buyer some confidence on its functioning and polishing.
A collector has listed this watch for sale on Instagram, with an asking price of €15,500 (approximately $17,300 at time of publishing).