An Effortlessly Trend Setting Watch
Occasionally, a watch comes across our desk that reminds us how far ahead of their time some watchmakers truly were. One such piece is the “Disco Volante” by Audemars Piguet, a mid-century modern design that feels as relevant today as it did 70 years ago.
The name, Italian for flying saucer, wasn’t factory-given. It was coined in the 1990s by Italian collectors as these watches became a hot collectible. The nickname fits. With a wide bezel and floating dial, the watch has a distinctly futuristic presence.
At roughly 35mm in 18k white gold, it wears comfortably today but in its era, when most men’s watches were at 30mm, it was boldly oversized. What we call modern taste has, in many ways, been here before.
Inside is where the interests lie. These watches housed an ultra-thin movement developed in collaboration with Vacheron Constantin and LeCoultre as part of a mid-century race toward ultra-thin watches. At 1.6 mm thick, it was the thinnest movement of its time, yet still housed in a case with a screwed back, an impressive balance of elegance and durability.
The Disco Volante is a perfect example of function quietly becoming style. It was designed to be trendy and decades later collectors find it even more so.
Its “worth?” A California jeweler bought it from their client for $2,000. The jeweler sold it to us for $3,000. We have an auction estimate of $3,000 to $5,000, and we expect around $4,000. The retail replacement value: if you were to buy a brand-new 18k gold similar watch from Audemars, it would be $18,000 or more!
