New summery Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore trio exhibits the brand’s distinct strength
Zach Blass- Audemars Piguet reveals new Royal Oak Offshores of different sizes, colours, and complications.
- Two 43mm models – one blue time and date model and one brown chronograph.
- The 37mm model has a more chic sensibility with an 18k pink gold case, mosaic straps, and a polished ivory dial.
Many would presume that Audemars Piguet’s defining distinction the Royal Oak design, but two much more substantial elements have made the brand stand out as of late. Firstly, the Holy Trinity manufacture has distinguished itself from its peers through a willingness to embrace diversity while incorporating its longstanding traditions. Audemars Piguet made waves through its Marvel collaborations and expressed its youthful and forward-thinking spirit by embracing materials such as ceramic and developing in-house alloys like sand gold – something Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin have yet to do.
Secondly, the brand appears to have nailed it lately in the arena of developing more offerings that speak directly to women while simultaneously capturing the attention of men as well. Certainly enlisting Ginny Wright (CEO, Audemars Piguet Americas) and Ilaria Resta (CEO) emphasised Audemars Piguet’s desire to further broaden its position in the marketplace.
The result has been a Royal Oak catalogue (and the overall Audemars Piguet catalogue) that has never been more diverse in size, colour, and complication in the modern era – and the latest summer-themed Royal Oak Offshore novelties are yet another example of this growth.
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding 37mm 77605OK.OO.A101CA.01
I suspect most sensibilities would assume this Royal Oak Offshore in 37mm was designed with women in mind, yet I, a cisgender white male, would declare this model my favourite of the three without hesitation. Audemars Piguet aptly describes this 37mm model as a design for smaller wrists, but its mosaic-motif straps and polished ivory dial certainly earn favour for those more interested in a chic aesthetic. If this watch enlarged, I could easily see friends of the brand like Kevin Hart and Travis Scott wearing one. The colours will certainly work well on warmer skin tones, whereas they may get washed out on paler wrists. Audemars Piguet clearly understands balancing details in its designs, as this watch would feel totally different if the strap not texture nor the bezel not grey rubber-coated. These casual, chic, and sporty details net a look that does not pander to tradition – instead feeling fluidly fashionable and on-trend.
| Brand | Audemars Piguet |
| Model | Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding |
| Reference | 77605OK.OO.A101CA.01 |
| Case Dimensions | 37mm (D) x 12.1mm (T) |
| Case Material | 18k pink gold, grey rubber-coated bezel |
| Water Resistance | 50 metres |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire crystal front and back |
| Dial | Polished ivory |
| Strap | Mosaic grey rubber strap, 18k pink gold buckle Mosaic black rubber strap |
| Movement | 5900, Vaucher base, automatic |
| Power Reserve | 60 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds, date |
| Availability | Now |
| Price | US$47,200 |
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding 43mm 15605SK.OO.A350CA.01
The safest summer look for the Royal Oak Offshore is the new blue time and date model, but its 43mm size, while ergonomic, is exclusionary for smaller wrists. Blues are no stranger to this collection, but the paler blue, along with the incorporation of a blue rubber coating for the bezel, introduces a distinct casualness apt for summertime. Therefore, on the traditional to adventurous spectrum, this design skews towards placating those drawn to the safety of tradition. Yet again, the smaller details and colour twists showcase Audemars Piguet’s confidence in blending these lines.
| Brand | Audemars Piguet |
| Model | Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding |
| Reference | 15605SK.OO.A350CA.01 |
| Case Dimensions | 43mm (D) x 14.4mm (T) |
| Case Material | Stainless steel, blue rubber-coated bezel |
| Water Resistance | 100 metres, screw-down crown |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire crystal front and back |
| Dial | Smoked blue dial |
| Strap | Blue rubber strap, steel AP pin buckle Additional black rubber strap |
| Movement | 4302, in-house, automatic |
| Power Reserve | 70 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds, date |
| Availability | Now |
| Price | US$27,400 |
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Chronograph 43mm 26420ST.OO.A828CR.01
If the 37mm pink gold model leans towards chic-adventurous and the 43mm blue model towards tradition with a twist, the new Offshore Selfwinding Chronograph 43mm lands somewhere in the middle. Not too safe, nor too adventurous. Brown is a colour that is certainly no stranger to many wardrobes, but in terms of accessorising, it requires a bit more finesse than black, white, silver, and blue. The black accents of the dial, its outer track, and panda-style counters create more leeway in colour-matching with wardrobes. Chocolate dials, unless the result of tropical patination, however, have a modern look in my opinion, and the typeface used on the dial feel more modern in its boldness. You also have the modernity of ceramic push pieces and a ceramic crown. The hand-finished alligator strap and panda-style dial, on the other hand, offer more traditional vibes. It is this balancing of details that makes it so hard to pinpoint its exact place on the traditional to adventurous spectrum.
| Brand | Audemars Piguet |
| Model | Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Chronograph |
| Reference | 26420ST.OO.A828CR.01 |
| Case Dimensions | 43mm (D) x 14.4mm (T) |
| Case Material | Stainless steel |
| Water Resistance | 100 metres, screw-down crown |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire crystal front and back |
| Dial | Smoked bronze |
| Strap | Brown alligator leather, hand-patinated, steel pin buckle Additional black rubber strap |
| Movement | 4401, in-house, automatic |
| Power Reserve | 70 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, small seconds, date, flyback chronograph |
| Availability | Now |
| Price | US$41,600 |
It’s no secret that watch nerds have expressed Audemars Piguet’s reliance on the Royal Oak, the majority of novelties sitting within this ample segment of the catalogue. Perhaps this has incentivised the honing of the brand’s eye for detail and colour expression. Born from a need to keep things fresh, if the Royal Oak wasn’t available with a variety of colours, sizes, complications, finishes, and materials, the lineup would become stale. Clearly, Audemars Piguet, armed with fresh and diverse perspective and a willingness to be more adventurous and playful, has a strong understanding of, if not how to reinvent the wheel, then how to redress and repackage it in a manner that can still leave people wondering and excited for what is coming next. You may be able to predict the model, but certainly not its look and vibe.