Rare Automotive-Themed Audemars Piguet Skeleton Watch Sold at Ineichen Auction
A striking and unusual Audemars Piguet skeleton watch featuring a hand-engraved depiction of a 1930s Mercedes-Benz roadster has been sold at the Ineichen Auctioneers sale in Zurich. The piece, which carried an opening estimate of CHF 16,000, achieved a hammer price of CHF 24,000, reflecting growing collector interest in rare and artistically customised models from the manufacture’s past.
Source: swisshours.com
A platinum skeleton with automotive flair
The watch, officially named Audemars Piguet Mercedes-Benz 500K Roadster, was produced in the 1990s and stands out for its distinctive combination of traditional skeletonisation and thematic engraving. It is housed in a 33.5 mm platinum 950 case, a compact and elegant format typical of the period, and paired with a black alligator leather strap.
What makes this watch exceptional is its dial-side engraving. Within the bridges of the openworked movement, a miniature rendering of a Mercedes-Benz 500K roadster from the 1930s has been intricately sculpted in metal. The hand-engraved motif celebrates the golden age of automotive design while maintaining perfect mechanical symmetry across the skeletonised architecture.
Complementing the artistic scene are leaf-shaped blackened hands and the Audemars Piguet signature, applied to the inner side of the crystal, ensuring the engraving remains visually uninterrupted.
Calibre heritage
The model is powered by a variation of the celebrated Calibre 2120, one of the most refined ultra-thin automatic movements in Swiss watchmaking. Originally introduced in the late 1960s and shared among several prestigious manufactures, including Audemars Piguet, Vacheron Constantin and Patek Philippe, the calibre has long been admired for its slim profile, exceptional finishing and distinctive suspended rotor construction.
Collectors’ appeal
While Audemars Piguet is best known today for the Royal Oak and its modern complications, the brand has also produced a number of bespoke and thematic skeleton watches during the late 20th century, often commissioned in small runs or as unique pieces. The Mercedes-Benz 500K Roadster skeleton exemplifies that creative era, blending fine engraving, horological tradition and artisanal craftsmanship.
Its recent sale at Ineichen highlights renewed interest among collectors in Audemars Piguet’s artistic and decorative pieces from the 1980s and 1990s, a segment often overshadowed by its sports-watch legacy but increasingly appreciated for its technical finesse and individuality.
