Watch On My Mind — Audemars Piguet Tantalum Royal Oak Championship Ref. 56175TT
About The Watch
Introduced in 1991 in a limited run of 2000 pieces the 56175TT was created in honor of the golfer Sir Nick Faldo, after he won his second Masters Tournament in 1990. The case-back is engraved to celebrated this achievement with the watch produced in the intriguing combination of Tantalum and Steel. This TT version joins a host of ref. 56175 variations encasing the same quartz calibre 2612 (1.9mm thick) in a refined ≈5.8mm thick case measuring 33mm in diameter.
Credit: a.dose.of.time
Credit: www.touchofmodern.com
Credit: HODINKEE
Why I Love It
This watch really catches the eye due to the striking two-tone effect of the tantalum and steel construction. Depending on the light these metals can compliment or contrast dramatically giving the watch many looks. The size is especially interesting, measuring 33mm, it sits rather well across a multitude of wrist sizes, as with most Royal Oaks it wears larger than its size.
The quartz movement is of course a great conversation starter and due to the sleek nature of the movement the case sits extremely low on the wrist. Finally the relative rarity of this piece adds to its attraction, especially the early ‘straight font’ logo dials, the chances of bumping into someone with this on their wrist either in real life or Instagram is low.
What to Consider
You can find the 56175TT with two dial logo variations, the old ‘straight font’ logo and the capitalized ‘A’ and ‘P’ logo found on later models and service replacement dials.
As with all Royal Oaks the condition of the case, bezel and bracelet can be taken into consideration, naturally the level of wear and aging of a watch is down to personal preference. A key tell on the bezel condition is the distance of the screws to the outer edge of the bezel, also the pronunciation of the screws above the bezel surface. For the case there is the sharpness of the chamfers, also the distance from the chamfer to the lug screws. Naturally for the bracelet the stretch in the links should be something to investigate.
Handsets are often found to be later service parts on these models as again they may have been exchanged during a service, replacement luminova handsets tend to be lighter in lume color but also slightly wider. Finally the price, this varies rather dramatically sometimes warranted due to condition and paperwork however there are bargains to be had, it’s definitely worth searching around for the price/condition combination that works for you. Happy hunting.
Credit: a.dose.of.time
Credit
The gorgeous photography is courtesy of @a.dose.of.time. Be sure to check out her feed for drool worthy watches and photography.
