Royal Oak TT 36mm - good price?

[drury]

Hi guys,

I've been offered a genuine AP Royal Oak two tone in the classic size. It's an older model with a grey dial and an automatic movement (2121?)

The watch is pretty run down, def. needs rebrushing (which shouldn't be a problem, since there's hardly any polishing to be done.) The bracelet has a little stretch and the movement probably needs a service.

Could an independant watchmaker service the movement? I'm a bit scared of AP's pricing for a full revision.

The price is set at 1600€, is that a good deal?

I've always liked the Royal Oak and this is probably my only chance to own a gen in near future.

Also I was thinking it might look nice on a good leather strap.

Let me know what you think,

Cheers,

Tim

[Tom Hawkes]

This one?

http://uhrforum.de/audemars-piguet-royal-oak-gelbgold-edelstahl-bicolor-no-2385-gebraucht-gelegenheit-t103211

Do you really want to pay 1600 Euros for an abused piece that will need a full movement service, complete refinishing, a new crystal and still have serious strech in the bracelet just because it says AP on the dial?

Edited April 18, 2012 by Tom Hawkes

[ubiquitous]

1600€ may be a low price, but you'll probably end up spending at least that figure having the watch overhauled/refinished by Audemars Piguet Service (hence doubling the cost of your purchase). For a Royal Oak classic, they're the only ones I would trust to do a proper case reconditioning and to have all the parts necessary to service the movement. However, if the case parts are really worn down (i.e. the bezel, bracelet etc), you could likely be spending significantly more for new replacement parts.

Before you make any decision, you may want to get an estimate done for the work to help determine if the overall price of the watch still makes sense to you. Considering that two tone 14790s run in the $5k/ €4k range, it may make more sense to spend a little more for an example that doesn't require as much work if you are hard pressed to add an RO to your collection...

[drury]

Thanks guys!

I'll do a little reading on the subject.

Maybe I was a bit over enthusiastic, thanks for bringing me down to earth!

Cheers, Tim

[ubiquitous]

Just be aware of what you're getting into with regards to maintenance costs. I know that the basic movement service is around ~$1k alone; basic refinishing is around $500 - $700. For heavily worn parts, items needing replacement, etc. those figures will only go up. If the current condition of the watch is pretty beat down, that tells me that the owner really didn't think enough to take proper care of the watch and to expect more items that need attention than what a typical service would usually provide for.

You could be spending 2x - 3x more than your initial purchase price of the watch all said and done...

[ubiquitous]

BTW, if memory serves correct the 2121 is in the Jumbo (e.g. 15202); the smaller 36mm 14790 has caliber 2225 (center sweep seconds)...