The year 1969. Seiko launches the Astron, a seemingly innocuous, accessibly priced digital quartz watch oscillating at 32,768Hz and capable of far greater accuracy than any high frequency observatory-certified mechanical chronometer, that unleashes the Quartz Crisis. Seiko was the first to introduce quartz technology, although other companies were working on it.
In the wake of this massive upheaval in watchmaking,Replica Watches countless venerable houses are facing insolvency or extinction. Orders for mechanical watches have dried up overnight. It was a matter of survival for the Swiss watchmaking companies.
In 1972, IWC Big Pilot Replica-Piguet, at the height of the Swiss onslaught, unveiled the iconic, legendary Royal Oak, which should be considered the most audacious timepiece in the 20th century. The watch was designed to be completely different from the past.
Its unconventional case design, with exposed screws running from the octagonal case to the back, complete with exposed rubber gaskets, became its own design motif. The Gay Freres bracelet was designed as a seamless component of the overall organic design of the watch. It was the first integrated bracelet sports-chic watch in the world. Interestingly,Breitling Replica Watches even though the watch was a massive 39mm in diameter, which resulted in the nickname "Jumbo," it was actually remarkably slim at 7.2mm thanks to the use of the Jaeger-LeCoultre-designed caliber 2121 that was only 3.05mm in thickness (This is caliber 2120 but with a date wheel).
The watch was made of steel, but it was priced audaciously like a gold timepiece. In fact, the 3,650 Swiss francs asking price could have bought a Jaguar. As a testament to the foresight of AP CEO Georges Golay and his testicular fortitude the brand ordered 1,000 steel cases of the Royal Oak reference 5402 A series. A second order of 1,000 cases will be placed later, bringing the total to 2,000 A-series watches 5402.