69 - Audemars Piguet - Cobra

Audemars Piguet - Cobra A historically interesting, extremely rare, and exquisite Geneva wristwatch with a date display. The watch was presented in 1976 as a gift to the former Director-General of VEB Carl Zeiss Jena, Prof. Dr. Dr. Wolfgang Biermann, and has remained in the family’s possession to this day. It was presented by the Swiss business partner Yürg Meier—who at the time was a dealer in high-performance, military, and embargoed goods—as a token of his appreciation Movm. No. 122704, Ref. 5403BC, Cal. K2121, Case No. 66594, Dimensions 33 mm, circa 1971, Weight 151 g, Origin: Switzerland Case: 18K white gold, screw-down back, integrated solid 18K white gold bracelet by Audemars Piguet, total length 200 mm. Dial: Blue, sunburst finish, applied diamond hour markers. Movement: Automatic. The “Cobra” reference 5403 by Audemars Piguet is one of the manufacture’s most unusual vintage creations and very rare to find today. What makes it particularly interesting is that it originated from the same creative period that produced the Royal Oak. It was first introduced in 1971—one year before the Royal Oak—and the design is attributed to Gérald Genta. The model’s nickname refers to the scale-like, braided, and fully integrated chain- or mesh-style structure of the very substantial gold bracelet, as well as to its overall serpentine appearance. The Cobra was produced in very limited quantities, primarily in yellow and white gold. The watch is powered by the ultra-thin automatic Caliber 2121, which was also used in 1972 in the legendary Royal Oak “Jumbo.” Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran, was seen wearing an Audemars Piguet Cobra on several occasions. Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Wolfgang Biermann (1927–2001) was a German mechanical engineer and economic official of the GDR. From 1975 to 1989, he served as General Director of the VEB Kombinat Carl Zeiss Jena, one of the most important industrial enterprises in the GDR. During his tenure at Carl Zeiss Jena, significant technical developments were advanced under his leadership, including the MKF 6 multispectral camera and the U61000 1-megabit memory circuit. For the latter, he received—along with a team of developers—the GDR National Prize, First Class, for Science and Technology in 1988. Politically, Biermann was closely aligned with the SED leadership and, beginning in 1976, served as a member of the SED Central Committee. At the end of 1989, he resigned as General Director and moved to Saarbrücken shortly before German reunification. According to his widow, the watch was a gift from his Swiss business partner Yürg Meier, who likely acted as an intermediary between Western manufacturers of precision technology, optics, machinery, or electronic components and buyers in the GDR or at Carl Zeiss Jena. No reliable information exists as to whether he complied with or circumvented the COCOM restrictions that were in effect at the time. Case: very good, worn. Dial: very good. Movement: very good, capable of running, cleaning recommended. Please note that leather straps made from endangered or protected species—such as alligator, crocodile, or lizard—are used in our catalog or on our website for illustrative purposes only. For customs-related reasons, such straps cannot be shipped outside the EU.