Audemars Piguet Perpetual Calendar 5548BA Papers

Complicated, Elegant, Exceptional! This is the Audemars Piguet perpetual calendar reference 5548 in its very early execution from 1979 in 18k yellow gold.

Audemars Piguet presented the perpetual calendar in 1978 - in the middle of the quartz crisis. So at a time when mechanical timepieces were almost completely replaced by battery-powered quartz watches, many companies went bankrupt and the number of employees in the traditional watch industry fell massively. Complicated watches became increasingly rare. But despite that, Audemars Piguet brought out this perpetual calendar, which could hardly be surpassed in terms of excellence. The reference 5548 was the thinnest automatic perpetual calendar in the world at the time. The low production number of approx. 2200 pieces suggests the rarity of this watch.

Here you can see a very early specimen from 1979 with the case number B40xxx. The early versions feature a "SWISS" signed dial. The later dials were printed with "SWISS MADE". Despite a lot of information, the white dial has a very balanced and clean appearance. The thin, long gold hands ensure excellent readability. The calendar functions date, month, day of the week and moon phase are displayed on the four sub-dials.

The 18-carat yellow gold case also contributes to the elegant look of the watch. The stepped bezel is pretty special. Measuring 36mm in diameter and less than 8mm in thickness, the timepiece sits comfortably on the wrist.

The AP 5548 is powered by caliber 2120, which was introduced in 1967. This movement was the result of a collaboration between Jaeger-LeCoultre, Audemars Piguet, Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin to develop an ultra-thin automatic movement. The joint project yielded the highly innovative and reliable movement that each company renamed and customized: Jaeger-LeCoultre 920, Patek Philippe 28-255 C, Vacheron Constantin 1120 and Audemars Piguet 2120. The movement remains the thinnest full rotor automatic movement in the world and is considered by many to be one of the most technically advanced wristwatch movements ever made.

The watch is accompanied by the original guarantee booklet, which shows the date of sale. The perpetual calendar was sold on July 10, 1979 in Stavanger, Norway. The original Audemars Piguet user manual from 1979 is also available.

Condition report
Dial: great condition, slight signs of aging, signed "SWISS" at 6 o'clock.

Case: 18 karat yellow gold case, very light signs of wear, sharp engravings on the case back, crisp gold hallmark.

Movement: Audemars Piguet automatic caliber 2120/1 operates perfectly.

Strap: brown leather strap with vintage look, original Audemars Piguet 750 gold clasp.

Summing-Up
This watch on your wrist is a lifestyle! The perpetual calendar tempts us to travel back in time to the late 1970s. A rare, complicated and extremely valuable vintage wristwatch.

Case number: B40xxx (1979)
Movement number: 174xxx

Int.Exe.: 2357075