Fingers-On Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Chronograph

In September 2021, Audemars Piguet launched two new fashions to its Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Chronograph line-up. Decked out in mild blue or khaki, there are many novelties on the dial and within the strap division, however above all, the large information is the incorporation of Audemars Piguet’s newest computerized flyback chronograph motion, calibre 4404. As all the time, it’s the attribute mixture of sporty toughness with refined particulars that has made the Royal Oak Offshore some of the coveted watches within the luxurious sports activities watch market.

With sizes starting from 37mm all the way in which as much as a whopping 45mm for the spectacular ROO Tourbillon Chronograph, the Royal Oak Offshore is a well-represented assortment with the whole lot from a Grande Complication to bejewelled chronographs and 300m waterproof divers.

No matter dimension, the dynamic structure of the ROO is what lends this watch its sporty, virile presence, a watch that obtained the nickname “The Beast” when it was unveiled at Baselworld 1993. Just like the Royal Oak of 1972, the Royal Oak Offshore of 1993 (ref. 25721ST) was as daring and defiant a proposal as Gérald Genta’s creation, the watch that launched the idea of the posh sports activities watch. Measuring a colossal 42mm, the ROO was an outsized, ripped watch bristling with textures and daring combos of supplies. As an offshoot of Genta’s iconic Royal Oak, the ROO paid homage to the legend with hallmark design options just like the raised octagonal bezel and uncovered screws, the guilloché tapisserie dial, the built-in bracelet and the general industrial design temper. Nonetheless, the ROO was beefier and bolder than the RO and rigged with supplies not related to high-end watchmaking. Past its monumental proportions, what shocked many conservative watch lovers was the daring “deconstructed” publicity of the black rubber gasket between the case and the bezel and rubber sheathing the chronograph pushers and crown. Revisited in 2018 for its 25^th anniversary and once more in 2021, “The Beast” now not provokes such radical reactions and has develop into a secure member of AP’s portfolio.

hallmark Royal Oak Offshore Case

Out there in both stainless-steel (blue dial) or ultra-resistant titanium (khaki), the case is hallmark ROO with a black rubber screw-down crown, gasket, and push-pieces. Just like the unique, the diameter is 42mm, the peak is 15.2mm, and the pushers are spherical and flanked by sturdy angular guards. The mighty raised octagonal bezel and case show a sporty satin-brushed ending contrasting with the eight polished and aligned 18k white gold screws and the polished bevels. Fitted with a glare-proofed sapphire crystal over the dial and caseback, the water-resistance is 100m.

Spot the distinction

The place we do start to note delicate modifications is on the dial. As a model that doesn’t shrink back from color – see this electrical blue ceramic ROO or this frosted gold RO mannequin with a wild purple dial – the selection of khaki for the titanium just isn’t radical, however the mild blue mannequin with orange and black sub-dials actually stands out.

Each dials are adorned with AP’s “Mega Tapisserie”, the bigger squared sample of the Royal Oak Offshore line, differing from the smaller and tighter “Petite Tapisserie” from classic fashions and “Grande Tapisserie” that falls between the 2. The khaki inexperienced Mega Tapisserie background hosts silver-toned counters with black printed markings, whereas the blue dial hosts black counters with orange and white markings. The white gold Arabic numerals, hour markers and Royal Oak arms are all handled with luminescence. A  tachymeter scale, in matching khaki color with white markings for the khaki mannequin, and black with white and orange markings for the blue mannequin, is displayed on the inner flange. To this point, nothing exceptionally totally different.

Hold on; one thing has modified with the vertical counter show. Beady-eyed ROO followers will instantly have seen that the place of the 12-hour chronograph counter and the working seconds have switched locations, that means the 12-hour counter is now at midday and the seconds are at 6 o’clock. A great choice that not solely enhances the legibility of the chronograph capabilities but in addition relocates the small seconds to its extra conventional 6 o’clock place.

However there may be extra, and it’ll take a really educated eye to identify this distinction. In comparison with the earlier 42mm Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Chronograph, the counters at the moment are equidistant to the centre, including extra steadiness to the dial. If you happen to’re not satisfied, have a look at how the utilized index at 12 o’clock is truncated, matching the scale of the index at 6 o’clock. Within the Bucherer mannequin, the highest index is bigger than the underside index.

Transferring to the fitting aspect of the dial, you’ll discover that the utilized AP brand is now not accompanied by the model identify spelt out in full and that the date window has been fitted with a magnifying glass immediately built-in into the dial.

Calibre 4404

Nonetheless, the most important and clearly most necessary novelty is the incorporation of Audemars Piguet’s new computerized built-in chronograph calibre 4404. First launched in Code 11.59, the calibre 44xx is a contemporary, technically superior motion that originally got here with a traditional 3-6-9 format. With a view to retain the signature 6-9-12 show, it needed to be tailored. Apart from that, the specs are acquainted. We’re taking a look at a self-winding chronograph motion with a column wheel and vertical clutch, in addition to a flyback perform that permits you to cease, reset and begin the chronograph in a single easy motion. The activation of the pushers is easy, and a patented zero resetting mechanism ensures that the arms of the chronograph counters instantaneously reset to zero.

This huge 32mm diameter 433-part motion is seen by the caseback, together with the reset mechanism with three aligned hammers. The ornament options straight and round satin brushing, Geneva stripes, perlage on each side and huge polished chamfers. Working at a 4Hz frequency, it packs 70 hours of energy reserve and is wound by a 22k pink gold oscillating weight.

Interchangeable straps

Each fashions are fitted with Audemars Piguet’s new interchangeable strap system. By merely clicking the pushers on the reverse aspect of the case, the strap is launched. The sunshine blue and khaki fashions include a textured rubber strap to match the dial color and are delivered with an extra black calfskin leather-based strap. It’s intelligent how design touches just like the indented channels on the rubber strap that taper from the lugs produce an ‘built-in’ impact that’s much more marked with the bracelet choice that appears to movement seamlessly from the 2 lug attachments. The web site has a configurator to view the watch with totally different strap choices, together with the titanium or metal bracelet with a folding clasp.

Worth

The 2 references of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Chronograph 42mm (26238TI.OO.A056CA.01 khaki and 26238ST.OO.A340CA.01 blue) retail for EUR 33,000.

For extra info, please go to Audemars Piguet’sofficial web site.