Happy birthday to the inimitable Royal Oak! It’s one of the few watches that can be considered truly revolutionary, a design classic that all but made Audemars Piguet the brand they are today. It’s an anniversary worth celebrating for sure, but how to go about it? Some watchmakers would just re-create that first Royal Oak, but since AP have been doing that for years anyway it wouldn’t exactly be a headline-grabber. Instead, they’ve created something that looks almost nothing like it.
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Ref. 26421OR
The Offshore is already more extreme in every way than the plain old Royal Oak, but the 25th Anniversary edition takes things to the nth degree. The eight signature screws are there, as is the faintly octagonal bezel and chunky case; the dial though is a different story entirely.
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Ref. 26421ST
Through it you can clearly see various elements of the movement, including the two mainspring barrels and the tourbillon turning at 9 o’clock. It’s not as simple as just an open dial though; Audemars Piguet have cut the bridges in a way that ties the skeletonised look with the signature octagonal design of the Royal Oak.
It really, really works, blending the movement and case together into one harmonious watch. In a piece as out there as this, that’s a rare thing. It might not be as revolutionary as the original Royal Oak, but the Offshore Tourbillon Chronograph 25th Anniversary is still one hell of a birthday present; www.audemarspiguet.com
Connoisseur’s Corner
- New version of the Royal Oak Offshore to celebrate 25 years of the original Royal Oak
- Manual-wind, open-worked Caliber 2947 movement with chronograph and tourbillon
- 42mm case available in either rose gold or stainless steel, each limited to 50 pieces
- Open dial with unique skeletonised bridges
- Price: £TBC
