AUDEMARS PIGUET ROYAL OAK SELFWINDING 37
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Audemars Piguet
Reference numbers aside, there is no doubting the quality of Audemars Piguet watches. The company, recognized as a member of the Holy Trinity of horology along with Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin, has been producing some of the most exquisite watches for nearly one hundred and fifty years. Of the many models produced throughout the company's long history, the Royal Oak is perhaps the most iconic. The ultimate luxury sports watch created by Gerald Genta, its unique case design has remained almost unchanged for 50 years. The octagonal bezel is held in place by eight hexagonal screws. In this case, it's made from the very rare, corrosion-resistant, scratch-resistant blue-grey metal tantalum. The case is 11mm thick and 41mm thick, making it both practical and wear-resistant. This is a watch that can be tucked discreetly under your shirt cuff as you stroll through the dangerous parts of your chosen city.Royal Oak and Leo Messi
Audemars Piguet celebrates the 40th anniversary of the Royal Oak in memory of Leo Messi. They are limited to 1000 pieces and are available in three styles: steel, yellow gold and platinum.In addition to the unusual bezel material, these versions differ from the standard versions in that they use an alligator leather or rubber strap instead of a bracelet and do not have a checkered dial.
They were released in 2012, coinciding with an incredible season for Messi that saw him score 91 goals for club and country and win one of his seven Ballon d'Or awards. The 35-year-old No. 10 shows no signs of slowing down, as evidenced by his World Cup-winning performance last December. He is arguably the greatest player in the history of the game and boasts a staggering number of records, including:
most
– League goals
– League hat-trick
– Ballon d’Or
– ESM Golden Boots
– Calendar year goals
– Argentinian hat
– Number of individual World Cup appearances
– Youngest Argentina World Cup goalscorer…and more.
In fact, the only thing conspicuously missing from Messi's resume is fulfilling his childhood dream of one day playing for the mighty Nottingham Forest!
The relationship between Audemars Piguet and Leo Messi began in 2005, when the footballer's manager presented him with a Royal Oak after winning his first La Liga title. Since then he has become an avid collector of Royal Oaks and became a brand ambassador in 2010 - their shared values of passion, precision and rigor considered to be at the heart of the partnership.