Overview
With the recent hype around the Audemars Piguet x Swatch collaboration, I felt it was the right time to share my story about my connection with Audemars Piguet, and how I combined my engineering background & watchmaking knowledge to restore my very own Royal Oak.
Le Brassus
Earlier this year, my dearest BR colleagues surprised me with the greatest parting gift a watch enthusiast can receive: a workshop visit with Audemars Piguet. I spent a week in Switzerland, experiencing the best of high horology, splitting my time between Geneva and Le Brassus, where I participated in the AP Master Watchmaker workshop.
The Workshop
Working hands-on with the movements is something that I will carry with me forever. Beyond seeing the masterful finishing and world class quality, it gave me a deeper appreciation for the craftsmanship and engineering that AP is known for. But at the same time, it sparked an idea: why not take that inspiration further and attempt a project of my own, to create a reminder of my time in Geneva?
The first step was research. High demand makes most models difficult to access, especially at an attainable price. I decided to look for a less conventional references in smaller sizes, and eventually I came across the 67650ST — a discontinued, smaller-sized Royal Oak with a quartz movement.
For me it was the perfect choice, as I prefer smaller, more understated watches, and those facts also made the parts more attainable.
Sourcing the Movement
First I began with the sourcing of the movement. The 67650ST uses the 2713AP quartz calibre, which is specific to this reference. And while I found the winding stem, needed to make the watch functional, I discovered that this movement is shared among the Swiss manufacturers. It turns out that several high-end Swiss manufacturers share this same base movement, each customising it with their own finishing and branding. Vacheron Constantin, Cartier, and Piaget all use variations of this calibre. Through cross-referencing, I was able to confirm that the Cartier 688 and the Vacheron 1207AS are functionally equivalent to the AP 2713AP.
For anyone working on similar projects, this opens significantly more sourcing options.
Dial, Case & Hands
Compared to the movement, the dial was quite straight forward. Used dials are readily available, with me only needing to check if it is the right one for the model and movement. The challenges came with the case and the hands.
The only solution to that was get an aftermarket set, which I had to rework with fine tools to make it work with the genuine AP parts. It's something I want to correct in the future, and I am still actively looking for a set to show up somewhere for purchase.
Assembly
After four months of research, sourcing, and hands-on work, everything finally came together. There was a minor setback during assembly; a mismatch in the hour wheel spring dimension, which was quickly corrected before final assembly.
The result is a fully restored Royal Oak with a story completely unique to me and my once in a lifetime trip to Geneva and the Audemars Piguet Atelier.
What's Next
The next step will be to manufacture a completely custom transparent case-back showcasing the Geneva stripe finished movement, as well as adding my own custom engraving, incorporating my own CAD Design and CNC Machining. But that will be a story for another day.