Audemars Piguet reference 5279 in white gold — white dial, caliber K2120

1974 | White gold | Automatic | 32.0mm

In 1972, Audemars Piguet launched the Royal Oak and changed the course of luxury watchmaking. What is less often told is that the same extraordinary movement — caliber K2120, one of the thinnest automatic movements ever made at 2.45mm — quietly powered other AP references of the period, including this cusion-shaped dress watch. A cushion-shaped case in 18k white gold, produced around 1974, wearing one of the great movements of the twentieth century with complete discretion.

The K2120 is a remarkable piece of engineering: ultra-thin, beautifully finished, and endowed with a 40-hour power reserve that belies its slender profile. In the context of the Coussin — a softer, more classical proposition than the Royal Oak — it becomes something almost paradoxical: a haute horlogerie movement in a dress watch that asks for no attention at all.

The white dial is clean and unadorned, entirely appropriate to the case and movement. At 32mm, the proportions are those of a refined 1970s dress watch — understated in the best possible sense.

This example presents in very good unpolished condition, retaining its original surfaces throughout. A serious AP for the collector who knows what the calibre K2120 represents.