The brand introduced the first watch from The Royal Oak Offshore line in 1993. The watches were designed especially for extreme sports and had a water resistance of 100 meters. The initial models were made from stainless steel, which was some kind of a small revolution in a world of luxury watches.
The collection evolved for almost 20 years and today it includes watches made from a wide variety of materials. The one thing that remains the same is their octagonal design and eight screws positioned along the bezel. This year, three new timepieces are joining the Royal Oak Offshore line.
All of the models are nested in the same octagonal cases measuring 44 millimeters in diameter. However, their cases are crafted from different materials. The first one is made from stainless steel and ceramic, while two other models use combination of ceramic and forged carbon or pink gold. Ceramic is an extremely durable and scratch-resistant material, therefore used for the bezel, which is the most exposed to the shocks.
The dials are completely redesigned, boasting a new, pure and modern look. The dial is redesigned with the idea to enhance the readability of the Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph watches, which were previously very busy and aggressive. The dials feature facetted hands in white or pink gold, coated in LumiNova layer. The steel variation displays a silver-toned dial and bezel with black counters and anthracite hour-markers, while the pink gold model boasts a black dial and flange with silver-toned counters and pink gold hour-markers. The forged carbon model is colored in black tones, adorned with the hour-markers highlighted in the luminescent green color. The dials are engraved with the exclusive “Méga Tapisserie” pattern.
The new Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore watches utilize the AP Caliber 3126/3840 automatic chronograph movement, the same one used for their Grand Prix Collection. This complex movement is composed of 365 components and equipped with 59 jewels. It beats at 21,600 vibrations per hour providing 60 hours of power reserve. The movement is delicately finished and adorned with Côtes de Genève decoration on bridges and circular graining on the mainplate. The oscillating weight crafted in 22-carat gold is partially open worked.
The movement provides basic hours and minutes functions, accompanied with the small seconds at 12 o’clock, chronograph with central sweep-seconds hand, 30-minute counter at 9 o’clock and 12-hour counter at 6 o’clock. The flange is engraved with Tachometric scale, as the small dial aperture at 3 o’clock indicates the date. All of the models are completed with black rubber strap adorned with two grooves, and water resistant to 100 meters.
Technical Description and References: Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph
26400SO.OO.A002CA.01
Case, pushpiece-guards, fastening studs and pin buckle in stainless steel; bezel, crown and pushpieces in black ceramics.
26400AU.OO.A002CA.01
Case in forged carbon; bezel, crown and pushpieces in black ceramics; pushpiece-guards, fastening studs and pin buckle in titanium
26400RO.OO.A002CA.01
Case, pushpiece-guards fastening studs and pin buckle in 18-carat pink gold; bezel, crown and pushpieces in black ceramics.
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