Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 'Foundation Time For The Trees' Ref. 15100ST

The Watch

Limited to just 450 pieces worldwide in stainless steel, this Audemars Piguet 'Foundation Time for the Trees' Ref. 15100ST dates from 1999 and remains a remarkably noteworthy Royal Oak in every sense of the word. Measuring 36mm in width, with a thickness a hair under 8mm, this early E series 15100ST is comparable to the modern Royal Oak "Mid-Size", ref. 14790. Externally the visuals of this piece are quintessential Royal Oak, with its confidently brushed surfaces so sharp one can almost count each brushed stroke. This flawless finish flows from bezel to case and on throughout the whole length of the bracelet, only pausing for flourishes of polishing on its edges. The hexagonal crown of this piece is a screw-down one which, combined with its monobloc case, re-assures 50m of confident water resistance. Yet, despite this being a textbook Royal Oak in some circumstances, in others, few prominent features are considerably different with this special edition.  

Typically, the externals of a Royal Oak define its personality, but with the Time for the Trees Ref. 15100ST, it's the dial and one rather prominent motif. Parked centrally of its Cosmos Blue tapisserie dial is an outlined motif of an Oak tree. This addition is not just a representation of Audemars Piguet's reforestation work but also a nod to the origin of the model's name, which comes from an ancient oak tree King Charles II of England used in 1651 to save his life. At a glance, it may look like the blue featured on this dial matches the blue seen on other models, but it does possess lighter, more vibrant qualities which aid its character further. Compact baton hands and rounded baton markers including luminescence are present here, with said markers skipping the twelve, three, and six positions. At twelve is the applied AP logo, at three o'clock is a white date aperture with a white surround which matches the lume perfectly, and at six is the all-important 'Audemars Piguet Fondation' typeface. Surrounding the dial's periphery are subtle minute hashes with five-minute intervals.

The Movement

Powering this watch is the Audemars Piguet Caliber 2225. This automatic movement is based on the Jaeger-LeCoultre 889/2 and comes with many features, including its 28,800 vph beat rate, 21k gold rotor, 36 jewels, and 40 hours of running time. The mainplate features Côtes de Genève striping, which backdrops its ornately finished 21k gold rotor featuring the AP logo flanked by two oak leaves.  

This Time for the Trees Ref. 15100ST is one of the few references from this era fitted with a display caseback, even more so when considering its 36mm case width.

How It Wears

The distinctive blue dial of this reference with its oak motif has rarity and beauty as credentials creating a distinct presence on the wrist. The symbolism of the oak tree is profound on the wrist and tastefully integrated without compromise. Measuring 36mm in width, you may be forgiven for assuming this Royal Oak is small, dainty, and lacking in wrist presence. The reality is, in fact, quite the opposite. Of course, it does take up a smaller amount of wrist real estate than the more prominent 'Jumbo', but its measurement on paper doesn't tell the whole story. The additional bonus of this piece is that no matter where you go, if the conversation turns to watches, you'll always have a fascinating, public-spirited topic of discussion.

Condition

This 1999 Audemars Piguet 'Foundation Time for the Trees' Ref. 15100ST is presented in very good condition and is complete with its inner box, outer box, and original certificate. If you desire to take a closer look at this precious timepiece, don't hesitate to contact us and make an appointment.