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Why the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore should be your next luxury watch
An icon of the luxury watch world
The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore with which you set standards!
Wondering what makes the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore a legend?
The answer lies in the remarkable history of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore and, of course, its unique design.
Before we go into detail, we would like to briefly discuss the history of Audemars Piguet.
The history of Audemars Piguet & Royal Oak
Jules Louis Audemars and Edward Auguste Piguet founded the Audemars Piguet watch manufacturer in 1875. In the first few years, their main focus was on the production of pocket watches. In 1919, they began producing high-quality and modern wristwatches.
In the 1970s, mechanical watch manufacturers faced major challenges as quartz watches became increasingly popular. Innovative and unusual concepts were in demand at this time.
Audemars Piguet responded to this challenge by commissioning renowned watch designer Gérald Genta to design a groundbreaking timepiece.
He presented a watch that was completely new:
The “Royal Oak” was born in 1972
Gérald Genta was inspired by a porthole on a naval ship. The design of the watch was unique with an octagonal bezel fitted with eight visible screws and an integrated link bracelet. The decision to use steel as the material for the Royal Oak was a first. Luxury watches at the time used either gold or platinum.
The Royal Oak was initially only slowly accepted by watch enthusiasts. The reasons for this were, on the one hand, the size of the watch with a diameter of 39 mm and, on the other hand, the price, which was quite high for a stainless steel watch.
Ultimately, the “Royal Oak” became a best-seller and formed the foundation of the manufacturer’s success.
What is the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore model?
The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore is a further development of the legendary Royal Oak line, known for its bold design and technical innovations. With its striking appearance and robust construction, it appeals to sportier watch lovers. Audemars Piguet's goal was to attract the younger, sportier target group with the Royal Oak Offshore.
What does "Offshore" watch mean?
"Offshore" in the watch world stands for models designed for extreme conditions. They are robust, functional and aesthetically pleasing.
From the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak to the Offshore
It is interesting to follow the development of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak to Offshore.
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak
As I said, the Royal Oak was introduced at Baselworld in 1972 at an insane price of 3,300 Swiss francs.
The version with reference number 5402 had a case diameter of 39 mm. It appeared larger due to the integrated strap. What made the Audemars Piguet slim and elegant was the extra-flat automatic caliber AP 2121 and the very small-format "Petite Tapisserie design" on the dial.
We say: an attractive dress watch.
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore
The Royal Oak Offshore was launched in 1993. It was striking, sporty and had a case diameter of 42 mm. Gerald Genta was not amused by this new form of the Royal Oak. It was characterized by a base movement from Jaeger-LeCoultre and an attached chronograph module from De Laplaz (reference 25721). This inevitably led to the watch's height increasing to an impressive 16 mm. In comparison, the height of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak was 7 mm. It was not for nothing that it was also called "The Beast".
The sportiness was underlined by the distinctive rubber lip between the case and the bezel as well as the rubber-coated pushers and crown. In some models, the bezel was even covered in rubber.
The first Royal Oak Offshore models still had the "Petite Tapisserie" design, but over time this pattern was replaced by the coarser "Méga Tapisserie" design.
The exact time when Audemars Piguet switched from the "Petite Tapisserie" to the "Méga Tapisserie" can vary depending on the model. Generally, this transition began in the early 2000s. For example, the larger Tapisserie pattern was introduced on some Offshore models around 2001.
