Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore joins the dark side
There’s a first for everything and for Audemars Piguet, 2023 delivers the Swiss luxury watchmaker’s first ever Royal Oak Offshore finished in striking black ceramic for fans of understated chic.
The arrival of the ultra sleek piece comes just in time for the Offshore name’s 30th anniversary, a model line which was an offshoot of Audemars Piguet’s flagship Royal Oak timepiece, albeit bearing more bolder, masculine characteristics. The Royal Oak Offshore design eventually found its intended crowd in younger audiences and celebrities, and even managed to grace the wrist of Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1999’s sci-fi actioner, End of Days.
Dark by design
Fast forward twenty odd years and enthusiasts can now acquaint themselves with the latest and stealthiest Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Chronograph. The robust timepiece features a 42mm ceramic case paired with a glareproofed sapphire crystal and sapphire titanium caseback, black ceramic pushpieces and a screw-locked crown. Black ceramic also extends into the bracelet which is finished with a titanium AP folding clasp for a touch of lightness.
On the dial, there are plenty of intricate details to marvel over. The brand’s signature Petite Tapisserie dial combines technicity and design to drive home a bold aesthetic, while functionality is further enhanced with chronograph hours, minutes and seconds found at the 12 o’clock, 9 o’clock and 6 o’clock markers. A date window is set at the 3 o’clock mark while a black inner bezel shows off the tachymeter scale. Other finer appointments on the face includes white gold applied hour-markers and Royal Oak hands with luminescent coating.
Being touted as a timepiece for more active wearers also means the Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Chronograph receives a decent waterproof rating of 100 metres, should it see genuine swimming duties.
In-house movement to match
Powering the watch’s flyback chronograph is Audemars Piguet’s Calibre 4404 self-winding movement which can be viewed from the sapphire caseback. It affords the hours, minutes, small seconds and date functions while delivering an impressive 70-hour power reserve.
The Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Chronograph is priced at 75 400 CHF.
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