Audemars Piguet Dress Watch for Betteridge Jewelers

Here’s something you don’t see every day.

Once upon a time, it was common for watch companies to allow their dials to be double-signed with the name of a corresponding retailer. (A Tiffany-signed Rolex, for example, or a Bucherer-signed Patek.) This practice, though still ongoing in certain cases, is rare nowadays, making vintage, double-signed watches into a niche, highly collective sub-category of horology. 

What we have here is a particularly notable double-signed dress watch. Manufactured by one of Switzerland’s finest watchmakers, Audemars Piguet, it was retailed by one of America’s finest jewelers, Betteridge. (Established in 1897, Betteridge once had multiple locations in New York City and Miami, and since 1952, has been headquartered in Greenwich, Connecticut.) 

Featuring a 32mm, 18K yellow gold snap-back case, a satin, champagne-toned non-luminous dial, applied indices, a cabochon winding crown, a sapphire crystal and, of course, its double signature, it’s fitted to a black lizard strap with signed, 18K gold pin buckle and is powered by the manually-wound AP Calibre 2003/1 movement. 

Double-signed vintage watches are wildly collectible and often, wildly expensive. Make this sleeper piece your dress watch before anyone is the wiser!

There are certain watches that define a brand, informing its design ethos and becoming nothing short of iconic in the minds of collectors. For Audemars Piguet, that watch is the Royal Oak, in all its multitudinous incarnations. Yet the manufacture from Le Brassus did not earn its seat in the triumvirate of leading watch brands — the so-called Big Three — on the success of the Royal Oak alone.

In fact, both Jules Audemars and Edward Piguet came from long lines of watchmakers, and made their reputations long before the Royal Oak was conceived. Their reputations rested on their ability to create incredibly elegant timepieces in numerous styles. While some of these timepieces were simple, elegant dress watches, others were one-off or short-series pieces produced at the rate of a handful per year. (Some years, Audemars Piguet only produced a few hundred watches in total.) Calendar watches, chronographs, minute repeaters — all the delights of haute horlogerie were part and parcel of the AP oeuvre long before the Royal Oak made its debut in 1972.

Technical innovations from AP abound and include the first minute-repeating movement, the first skeleton watch and an ultra-thin automatic tourbillon. Newer collections, such as the Code 11.59 from 2019, see the maison continue to develop new and exciting watches and calibers, the likes of which aren’t based upon tired horological tropes from models past. (Though if vintage reissues are your bag, AP does have a special “Remaster” line — currently consisting of just one model — that reimagines some of its classical, complicated pieces from the mid-20th century.)

Our Pledge

Analog:Shift stands behind the authenticity of our products in perpetuity.

Condition

Since our pieces are vintage or pre-owned, please expect wear & patina from usage and age. Please read each item description and examine all product images.

Warranty

We back each Analog:Shift vintage timepiece with a one-year mechanical warranty from the date of purchase.

International Buyers

Please contact us prior to purchase for additional details on shipping and payment options.

All of our watches include complementary insured shipping within the 50 states.

Most of our products are on hand and will ship directly from our headquarters in New York City. In some cases, watches will be shipped directly from one of our authorized partners.

We generally ship our products via FedEx, fully insured, within 5 business days of purchase. An adult signature is required for receipt of all packages for insurance purposes. Expedited shipping is available at an additional cost. We are also happy to hand deliver your purchase in Manhattan or you may pick it up at our showroom.

Returns must be sent overnight or by priority international delivery, fully insured and paid for by the customer. A restocking fee may apply. Watches must be returned in the same condition as initially shipped.

We welcome international buyers, please contact us prior to purchase for additional details on shipping and payment options.