Today famed for their octagonal design elements as best seen in the Royal Oak, Royal Oak Offshore, Royal Oak Concept, Code 11.59 and others, Audemars Piguet, like just about every other high-end watchmaker was best-known for their round dress watches. Designed with a minimalist aesthetic that epitomized the timepiece’s functional nature, these dress watches were round, thin and had elegantly legible dials – just as this vintage dress watch has. Hailing from the 1960s, this dress watch is an 18kt white gold example that features a white dial with carefully painted stick indices and simple hands that feed into its design language all the more. Featuring a svelte 31.5mm case that stands just 5mm tall, this example is an extra-thin watch, as AP was known for at the time. Powered by the cal. 2003 that Jaeger LeCoultre and Vacheron Constantin launched in 1953 following a joint effort to create an ultra-thin movement. A historically rich movement for a historically rich brand, the cal. 2003 fits perfectly inside of this timepiece and allows it to wear incredibly densely on the wrist as so many vintage watch collectors adore.

An understated timepiece with fine details everywhere you look, this example highlights the importance of looking beyond just the most obvious parts of a design.