First off, AP. Audemars Piguet. Pronounced “Oh-duh-mar Pih-gay,” just so you don’t sound like a total noob when you’re bragging about it to your buddies, lol. They’re like, the Swiss watchmaking royalty. We’re talking serious horological pedigree here.
Now, you might be thinking, “Okay, cool, but how much is this gonna set me back?” Well, buckle up, buttercup. An AP watch price… it’s all over the place. You *can* find vintage stuff, like from the ’40s, ’50s, even ’60s (the RE[Master]02 actually tributes a vintage one from ’60!), going for maybe under 2,400 USD, according to what I read. But honestly, those are probably pretty rough around the edges, and you’re buying a *very* old watch.
Then you get into the Royal Oaks. These are the iconic ones. The ones everyone wants. And yeah, those are gonna cost ya. Think several thousand, minimum. I saw something about Chrono24 having like, 16,974 Audemars Piguets listed…so you’ve got options, but they’re not cheap options.
And then there’s the whole “Super Clone” thing. Look, I’m just gonna say it: stay away from those. Seriously. They might *look* the part, but they’re never gonna have the craftsmanship, the movement, or the *soul* of a real Audemars Piguet. You’re just wasting your money on a fake. Plus, it’s kinda lame.
Honestly, I’d suggest starting by checking out Audemars Piguet’s website. And register your watch if you end up getting one, it’s important. You can find their boutiques all over the world, apparently.
One thing that did catch my eye was this RE[Master]02 Selfwinding. It’s a tribute to an asymmetrical watch from 1960. Sounds kinda cool, right? Different. I’m not usually into the super traditional stuff, so something with a bit of a twist is interesting. But, you know, it’s probably outrageously expensive. Sigh.