The Audemars Piguet Watch Battery Replica Royal Oak Chronograph.
This is a watch that’s known to many of you, perhaps it doesn’t require much of an analysis — but this really is HODINKEE and you’ll be able to believe you’re gonna receive you. The Royal Oak Chronograph is a wristwatch that has tens of thousands of fans the world over, and a couple of detractors, also. The ROC, as I’ll call it, is something of a middle ground between two completely different Audemars Piguet buyers — the collectors, and, well, everybody else. The Royal Oak and Royal Oak Offshore families often appeal to quite different individuals, but I will get to this shortly. Within this review, I tackle a mainstay in the AP lineup, along with an intriguing bit of haute horology, though one with no in-house motion. I will look at how this 41mm column-wheel, vertical clutch chronograph wears, and whether the issue of where the movement came from is something worth noting at all. This is the HODINKEE Week About The Wrist using the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph, and it is one worth spending a while with.AP is a truly unique watch manufacture. It’s among the very few worldwide haute horology brands which remains in the hands of its founding family, with several members of their Audemars family sitting on its board. Think about the fact that Vacheron Constantin and A. Lange & Söhne are both owned by the Richemont Group (which owns what from Cartier and Panerai into Alfred Dunhill, bag maker Lancel, women’s clothing company Chloe, Purdey Guns, and Net-A-Porter), and Patek Philippe, while keeping its independence, was marketed to the Stern family less than 100 years back. But, the ownership of AP is not necessarily the most interesting facet of the 175 year old manufacture — the question that matters is who buys AP’s watches?
Three years ago Audemars Piguet Female Watch Price Replica gave its bestselling sports chronograph a major overhaul with an in-house movement as well as ceramic buttons and crown. Now a quartet of new models unveiled at SIHH 2017 joins the second generation Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph line-up, including a heavyweight version with a platinum case and bracelet.
The basic models are in stainless steel, starting with the blue on black (ref. 26470ST.OO.A028CR.01). This has a black dial with dark blue chronograph registers, matched with a dark blue chapter ring and alligator strap.
The other steel model has a brown dial (ref. 26470ST.OO.A820CR.01) fitted with pink gold hands.
Then there’s the 18k yellow gold that has a blue dial and gilt sub-dials (ref. 26470BA.OO.1000BA.01) that’s anything but subtle. This is delivered on a matching 18k gold bracelet, but accompanied by a spare alligator strap and 18k gold pin buckle.
The top of the line version is the all-platinum (ref. 26470PT.OO.1000PT.01) that marks the return of the model to the catalogue after a hiatus of several years. Impractically but impressively heavy – it tips the scales at over a pound or half a kilo – the platinum Offshore is a limited edition of 50 pieces with a pale grey dial and black sub-dials. Like the yellow gold model, it’s accompanied by a spare alligator strap with a platinum pin buckle.
All four models share the same specs, with a 42mm case featuring a sapphire case back that reveals the calibre 3126/3840 inside.
Price and availability
The new Offshore Chronographs are available from Audemars Piguet retailers and boutiques, with Swiss francs priced excluding taxes as follows.
Steel and black ref. 26470ST.OO.A028CR.01 – SFr23,500
Steel and brown ref. 26470ST.OO.A820CR.01 – SFr24,000
18k yellow gold ref. 26470BA.OO.1000BA.01 – SFr78,000
950 platinum ref. 26470PT.OO.1000PT.01 – SFr122,000