Audemars Piguet Octagon Automatic

By the time this Audemars Piguet Octagon hit the scene, the Royal Oak was already a few years old—but not yet the cult icon it would become. Early on, AP was still exploring how sporty, angular design could live in a dressier world. This watch feels like the Royal Oak’s quieter, better-dressed sibling—the one who skipped the yacht party and went straight to the dinner reservation.

At 32mm, the 18K yellow gold case wears with far more presence than the numbers suggest. The octagonal shape stretches out on the wrist in a way that feels natural, almost modern, and the case architecture is crisp and sharp without being loud.

The dial keeps things equally considered: a cream-toned guilloché texture, with a pillow-shaped finish that gives a softness and depth you don’t usually find in traditional dress pieces. The choice of cream over stark white plays beautifully against the warmth of the gold, elevating the whole composition with a subtle richness.

And then—there’s the bracelet. Not your standard two-tone fare. Here, white gold and yellow gold are woven together with a level of complexity that borders on obsessive. Yellow gold triple-pillar links form the spine, while the white gold links are topped with clous de Paris hobnail finishing for an elevated sense of contrast.  Tying the whole construction together are two-pill horizontal bars, alternating their pattern up and down the bracelet. Even the sides of the links are finished with a linen pattern—because AP didn’t know how to leave good enough alone (and we’re better for it). The tapestry-style clasp, signed with the AP mark, finishes it off without missing a beat.

Adding to the significance, the bracelet was made by none other than Jean-Pierre Ecoffey (JPE), the master craftsman responsible for some of the most complex and luxurious bracelets of the 1970s and 1980s. His mark is proudly stamped on the clasp, a known signature of quality. Ecoffey’s work for brands like Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, and Vacheron Constantin was about elevating a watch into jewelry-grade artistry. These bracelets were made by hand, link by link, often requiring a level of skill and patience that’s virtually extinct today.

Inside ticks the AP Caliber K2120, an ultra-thin automatic movement with 36 jewels, a suspended rotor running on ruby rollers, and finishing that still puts modern movements to shame. Back when slim didn't mean "fragile," this caliber was—and still is—one of AP’s greatest technical flexes.

Fitting up to a 7.25-inch wrist with two micro-adjustments at the clasp, the Octagon is the kind of rare find that tells a deeper story about AP’s design experimentation in the 70s and 80s.

Before the Royal Oak ruled the room, there were watches like this—pushing the design language forward without needing a spotlight.