Rare Swiss gold open faced octagonal Royal Oak watch Circa 1978

Yellow gold octagonal watch by Audemars Piguet
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A rare Swiss yellow gold octagonal open faced keyless watch, Royal Oak, circa 1978.  This rare watch, designed by Gerald Genta, features a manual winding movement with 20 jewels and a lever escapement. It has an anthracite tapisserie dial with applied yellow gold baton indexes. The octagonal case of the Royal Oak is made of 18k yellow gold, and eight screws secure the bezel. The watch includes an 18k yellow gold snap on case back. The case, dial, and movement are signed. It comes with an Audemars Piguet travelling pouch.
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Diameter: 44 mm
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Signed: Audemars Piguet
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Created in 1972 by Gerald Genta, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak is primarily recognised as a bracelet watch. However, during the latter part of the 1970s, some pieces featuring the same design were also produced as pocket watches. These open faced models were made in stainless steel, two tone, and yellow gold, including those highlighted here. Unlike the Jumbo version, this pocket watch did not have the Audemars Piguet logo or a date indication. It featured non luminescent, thin baton indexes and dauphine hands, adding an elegant touch typical of pocket watches.