Audemars Piguet platinum pocket watch - c1940s

This is a very, very special watch which Stephen Baring has decided to release from his private collection - a beautiful Audemars Piguet platinum dress pocket watch, dating from the 1940s and in as near to mint all-original condition as you will ever find for a watch of this age. The photos do not do it justice and it really needs to be viewed to fully appreciate the condition. The original, unrestored dial, batons and hands are in mint condition, as though made yesterday - just incredible for a watch of this age. The movement is in untouched condition - far brighter and cleaner than photographed - and the platinum case is as near to mint as you will find for an unpolished case of this age, with very minor wear. Platinum photographs grey so you can expect the whole watch to look more crisp and clean in reality.

It is clear that the watch has rarely ever been used. It features a gorgeous solid platinum case, original mint dial, original platinum hands and hour markers, and a high-grade Audemars Piguet crown-wound 18 jewel movement. The movement is in very good working order. The watch is also signed 'Gubelin', the famous watch company who originally retailed the watch. The watch comes complete with its original Gubelin pouch.

The watch will also provide a certain financial investment as fewer and fewer pocket watches of this standard come to the market. Very few people could afford a platinum Audemars Piguet pocket watch in post war 1940s so no more than a handful were made, making it exceptionally rare. The Audemars Piguet museum have asked to buy the watch but the process is too long, so we have decided to offer it to our customers.

The solid platinum four-piece case is in superb near-mint clean condition (very minor wear) with no machine polishing. The diamonds are all original, firmly set and high quality. It measures 42.7mm wide x 5.2mm thick x 50.2mm long, including the solid platinum stem/bow. The back closes tightly and perfectly. The inside back is signed 'Audemars Piguet', 'Swiss', 'Platinum', the '12376' case reference number and carries the appropriate Swiss hallmarks for platinum.

The beautiful original, unrestored dial is in mint crisp condition, with virtually no wear (much more bright and crisp than the grey photographs) - just amazing for a dial of this age. It features crisp platinum hour markers and is signed 'Audemars Piguet', 'Gubelin', 'Geneve' and 'Swiss'. The original platinum hands are in mint crisp unbent condition and the original lens is perfectly clear.

The original crown-wound Audemars Piguet movement is centre jewelled and is in mint gleaming condition - far brighter and more crisp than photographed - with all the screw heads in perfect condition, which means that the it is unlikely that the movement has ever been worked on. The movement is signed 'Audemars Piguet', 'Adjusted to temperature and five (5) positions', 'Eighteen (18) jewels' and the '47589' movement reference number. The watch is in very excellent working order.

A superb antique pocket watch; museum standard. Will provide an excellent financial investment as well as a possession to enjoy.

You can feel confident buying from us - we offer a full refund if you are not entirely happy, as long as the watch is returned within in the same condition. We also provide a full receipt, six months guarantee (long enough for you to assess the working order) and a professional insurance valuation. We also welcome you to come and view the watch at our central London address, in the New Bond Street area. We offer our customers online prices - well below value - with offline availability and service.