A friend sent me a listing on the bay for an AP 18K Royal Oak. I was just wondering if anyone could help me discern whether or not this watch is legitimate. What are the tell tales with AP? Orchestra Baobab Made In Dakar Raritan. If it doesn’t come with papers does anyone know how to date them? Thanks Everyone! Howard Listing: I was able to find out some information on identification and dating: “ Every Audemars Piguet watch has a movement number engraved on the mainplate, generally next to the balance, and a case number which is engraved on the outside of the case-back. In the example picture: Number 25 is the sequential number of these particular model/reference.

D67746 is the case number, sequential across all watches manufactured by Audemars Piguet. There is no certain way to tell the age of an Audemars Piguet, but certain estimates can be made with the case number: there are 100,000 watches with the same letter, and AP manufactures 20,000 watches a year (VERY aproximately) so that the letter of the serial number changes aproximately every 5 years. A known fact is that production of the F series started sometime in 2004. In the example watch with case number D67746: D started in 1994, plus 1 year per 20,000 on the case number will make this watch a 1997-98. “ I was also given this info from another member: “ Ways to Spot Replica Audemars Piguet Royal Oaks The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak has long been a favorite watch to counterfeit.I have seen examples dating back to 2001 for the Royal Oak Offshore. Back then the state of the art was poor stainless steel and quartz movements, easily spotted by even an amateur observer.

Audemars Piguet started at the end of the 19th Century in Switzerland. Jules Louis Audemars and Edward Auguste. Games For Ti 84 Plus. And its own watches with their own serial numbers.

As with most replica watches,the situation improved over time. Later examples of replica Audemars Piguet Royal Oak improved upon the earlier watches by using Asian-made ETA 7750 clone movements. These movements varied in reliability but gave the watch a more accurate appearance. Still, the watches are easy to spot as fake because of the placement of the seconds subdial at 9 o'clock. A genuine AP Royal Oak has their seconds subdial positioned at 12 o'clock at a slightly lower position than the 7750 places it.

By simply looking at the position of the sweep seconds hand,most of these caliber of replicas were easy to spot. Ways to Spot Replica Audemars Piguet Royal Oaks The replica watch has a thicker case back than the genuine watch. The cyclops and date window on the replica is slightly too far to the right. This is because of the Asian 7750 used.

The black dials on replica Royal Oaks are missing the metal surrounds on the numerals. Replicas have poor quality lume. Genuine Royal Oaks will glow brightly and consistently after being charged. The pushers on the genuine Royal Oak are slightly offset above the centerline of the case. The Audemars Piguet replica has them directly center. The rubber pushers on the genuine watch have a slightly different shape than the replicas.

They are slighly beveled at the top. Look for poor fitting of the band to the case.

Replica clasps are finicky and are prone to stick. Carefully look at the clasp. 'Safari' Royal Oak replicas have a white dial instead of the accurate cream color. Although genuine this watch has issues.

Whoever did the refinish had NO clue what they were doing. The bezel screws are not all pointed in the same direction. This is a very major mistake.

If whoever prepared the watch for resale didn't know this than they are clueless. None of the beveled edges on the side of the case or braclet are polished.

The division between the satin and the high polish on the bezel is awful. These are all hack mistakes. One could only guess how many disasters await inside.

Audemars Serial Numbers Louis Audemars Serial Numbers Serial Numbers and the “Lost” Ledgers for Watches and Movements Made or Sold by Louis Audemars & Cie, of Le Brassus, Switzerland. Louis-Benjamin Audemars established his business in Le Brassus in 1811. His sons continued the business after his death in 1833, but the company failed and was liquidated in 1885. There were three successor companies, established in 1885-6 by four of his grandsons: • Audemars Freres – defunct by about 1910 • Francois Audemars fils – defunct by about 1900 • And – most confusingly: • Louis Audemars & Cie – also defunct by about 1900 • A fourth successor company was established in London in about 1910 by one of Louis Audemars’ great-grandsons.

During the 1940's Blitz in London the London offices were bombed and the 19 th century archives were thought to have been lost. However in the early years of the 21 st C, some books were found with details of watches and movements made and sold by Louis Audemars & Co. From the early 1840s to 1885.

These books enable the identification of watches and movements made and/or sold by Louis Audemars & Co. During that period, even when finished under a different name. There are no surviving archives for any of the four successor companies. The books have some 12500 entries, although some of them repeat in more than one book so the net content is about 5500 serial numbers. Please note that the archive is incomplete and although perfectly authentic, many pieces are not included.

NAWCC Members who might have one of these watches or movements are invited to send in their serial number together with a description of the piece. If the number is in the lists the holder of the archive ( Paul Audemars, a direct descendant) is happy to provide ( free of charge by e-mail) information and descriptions as available.

If signed, hard copies of ledger entries, authentications and provenances are required, there will be a nominal charge. The following are chargeable: • A signed certificate confirming an individual product with its known history. • Full size (Ca 30cm x 46cm) hard copy of individual page from Ledger No. 2 • Signed copy of individual line entry or entries from Ledgers 1,3,4,5,6, or 7. • Copy of entry in Louis Audemars-Valette's list of notable watches. Q uotations for certificates and for hard copies of individual records will be sent on request.

Please email your serial number(s) and requests to Paul through the contact page of his web site ( ). Finally please note that there was never any corporate connection between The Louis Audemars Company (which operated from 1811 until its liquidation in 1885), and Audemars-Piguet S.A., (“AP”) founded in 1875 and which still flourishes today in the same Swiss village. (There was a tenuous family connection in that one of the co-founders of AP was the second cousin of Paul’s great-grandfather).

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