Released in 1972 and designed by Gerald Genta, watchmaking's most famous designer, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak was the first stainless steel luxury sports watch ever to exist. Released as a tactic to survive the quartz crisis, the Royal Oak can single-handedly be thanked for AP's existence today due to its astounding success, albeit it wasn't an overnight hit. Its sizeable tonneau-shaped case, signature integrated bracelet, octagonal bezel, exposed screws, and steel construction failed to win over collectors until a few years later. Today, the Royal Oak is one of the most highly-coveted timepieces in all horology as its previously dismissed design details have permeated across the industry and into watches like the Patek Philippe Nautilus, Vacheron Constantin Overseas, Rolex Oysterquartz, amongst many other legendary timepieces. However, the Royal Oak family is not as one-dimensional as some may think, with a number of sibling models inspired by the iconic design, one being the Royal Oak ref. 6005BA. Reinterpreting the Royal Oak’s iconic octagonal shape, the ref. 6005BA features a longer rectangular profile with slightly flatter edges. The first Royal Oak variant to feature a quartz movement, the cal. 2511, the ref. 6005BA was produced for a short 5 years between 1980 and 1985 meaning it is a rare piece of the Royal Oak’s heritage, yet as important as any. Additionally, this example boasts a Khanjar dagger on its “Petite Tapisserie” dial, a mark of its early days when it was ordered by the Sultanate of Oman, either for his personal collection or as a gift for a foreign dignitary, a friend or anyone else deemed worthy enough of such a special gift.

Watch is in excellent condition with very sharp edges and well defined crisp chamfers. Watch has some superficial surface scratches, predominatenly on the caseback, but the serial number is still fully visible. The petite tapisserie dial with the Khanjar logo is in near-mint condition and virtually flawless to the naked eye. The dial is devoid from the usual oxidation issues that often occur with these dials. The bracelet has 22 links total, 8 of which are removable. There is very minimal stretch on the bracelet. The quartz movement is currently running but has not been tested for accuracy.

An incredibly unique design, the ref. 6005BA was not just iconic for introducing the quartz movement to the Royal Oak, the movement that created the Quartz Crisis and led to the Royal Oak's production, it also featured a new design that lives on today as one of the most distinguishable in watchmaking.