Anyone who has never wanted to add an Replica Audemars Piguet Royal Oak to their watch roll should come forward. Some chase the time-only reference while others, more sought after and lovers of chronographs and large sizes, wink at the “vitaminized” Royal Oak, the Offshore version that has lent itself over the years to the role of actors, Formula 1 drivers ( Montoya, Barrichello, Trulli) and super champions like Michael Schumacher, bringing incredible complications like the Lap Timer to the debut, with the 7-time world champion. Incredible to say, but 25 years of passion have passed since the moment a “simple” chronograph became an object of desire with a collector’s price, especially in the editions dedicated to the two former F1 drivers, Juan Pablo and Rubens.
So be careful that, it is worth repeating, the 25 years I am talking about are those of the Offshore (not of the classic Royal Oak, born in 1972) which, personally, I have always preferred to the sole time for that strange alchemy between original appearance and strongly masculine personality given by the “Offshore” attribute. Ask me which is my favorite and I will start quoting you a long list that contains names like Shaquille O’Neal, Alinghi, Volcano, Trulli, etc… I could go on for a long time with names like Bartorelli for example.
Audemars Piguet honors us with a new Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph Tourbillon in 2018, or rather two new top-of-the-range watches that add a different note of character to the Royal Oak Offshore as we have known it so far. Made of steel or rose gold, they share the same basic concept, a completely skeletonized dial with an architecture that recalls a shuriken cut thanks to the bridges that support the minute track and are connected to the tourbillon bridge, the 30-minute chrono counter and the double winding barrel of the manual caliber 2947 which allows for up to more than 7 days of power reserve.
From the caseback side it is also possible to enjoy the splendid view of the calibre, with the small column wheel clearly visible on the left while on the high dial the octagonal bezel, which is inevitable, has also been skeletonised to give a full view of the movement, whose hand, if I read the technical characteristics, it makes me think of the mind of Renaud and Papi even if it is a hypothesis not a confirmation.
Audemars Piguet, in releasing the first still life images of its Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph Tourbillon, left us a bit waiting, by not revealing all the secrets of its new top-of-the-range Offshore, which we will see in less than two months at PalaExpo. Almost a statement of what awaits us and a preview because I believe that this is just the pinnacle of a new collection and a new chapter in sports collecting.
To complete this preview, the design of the case is confirmed with the two large chrono buttons, now in ceramic, covered by full-bodied protections, in steel or 18k rose gold respectively and with the ceramic crown completely protected and always delicately sized compared to the chronographs from the competition, in which it is always quite generous (one example above all: Richard Mille). A new chapter for the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph Tourbillon, technical and aesthetic. What do you think? You like it? Let me know with your comments. See you soon, from SIHH 2018 and live. Gaetano.