What is it exactly about collecting vintage Audemars Piguet watches that appeals to serious collectors? It’s a combination of a variety of factors – heritage, quality, aesthetics, and rarity among those chief. It’s an undeniable thrill when an unusual watch hits the market, which, for certain examples in the vintage Audemars Piguet space, can be a matter of years or even decades. So when I happened upon this piece a month or so ago it had my immediate attention.

A simple, time-only watch in steel with gold crown, hands and numerals, it was listed by a small Italian auction house with no estimate and a curious description. The utilitarian dial layout and case shape indicated a manufacture date from the 1940’s to possibly the very early 1950s. The listing described the dial as refinished and the case back a replacement. However, with the above photo the only one provided, additional photos were needed to confirm this assessment. After reaching out to the auction house, I received an email with several additional photos of the watch that confirmed my initial suspicions.

The watch was not only 100% original, but also appeared to be practically new old stock and was powered by a desirable VZSS. It even appeared to have retained the original steel buckle. A steel cased two-tone VZ from the 1940s is an exceedingly rare spec on its own, but in such incredible condition, with a stunning bi-tonal lemon dial? Well, it certainly justified its $36,547 (with premium) hammer price this morning. And my sincere congratulations to the lucky winner on a truly epic piece.