Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph in Steel (Ref. 26400SO.OO.A002CA.01)
Although the face-lifted models from the elegant Jules Audemars line of dressy watches were unarguably the drawing cards of AP`s exhibition at SIHH 2011, the refreshed ROO watches –including the new Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph in Steel (Ref. 26400SO.OO.A002CA.01)– also received their fair share of attention.
As I have already noted, the new model offers only visual enhancements to the existing line of AP ROO watches.
Just like the last year’s Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Grand Prix Collection, the watch features the good old AP Caliber 3126/3840 automatic chronograph movement.
While the caliber is anything but new, it is still a very reliable and robust movement.
It is also a pleasure to look at since it sports a partially skeletonized winding rotor made in 22-carat gold and subjected to anthracite galvanic treatment.
Its mainplate is circular-grained, bridges rhodiumed, snailed and beveled, and are adorned with Cotes de Geneve motif.
Outside, it is still the same Royal Oak Offshore that we love so much.
As usual, its signature stainless steel case and the octagonal bezel in black ceramic are screwed together with eight polished stainless steel screws.
The black ceramic is not limited just to the bezel. The crown and the chronograph push-pieces are also made of this scratch-resistant composite material.
The AP ROO will definitely look awkward if you try to wear it with business attire (a lot of people do, though.) The first of all, it just screams “sports watch!” The second, is that it, while not particularly large at more or less average (for the class) 44 millimeters in diameter, is very thick at 14.43 mm in height and you may have to order a set of special long-sleeve shirts with wider cuffs.
Audemars Piguet plans to sell the Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph in Steel (Ref. 26400SO.OO.A002CA.01) for around €22,000.
Photos: Audemars Piguet
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph in Steel (Ref. 26400SO.OO.A002CA.01) automatic watch specification
Price: N/A
Movement: Automatic, AP Caliber 3126/3840, 59 jewels, 29.92 mm in diameter, 7.16 mm in height, 365 parts, 21,600 vph, Swiss Made
Movement decoration: Winding rotor partially skeletonized, in 22-carat gold with anthracite galvanic treatment; Mainplate circular-grained, bridges rhodiumed, bevelled, snailed and adorned with Cotes de Geneve
Functions: Hours, minutes, small seconds, date, chronograph
Power reserve: 60 hours
Case material: Stainless steel
Bezel material: Black ceramic
Case shape: Octagonal
Bezel shape: Octagonal
Case size: 44.00 mm
Lug width: N/A
Case height: 14.43 mm
Dial: White, with Mega Tapisserie motif and applied facetted hour markers with lume in white gold
Numerals: N/A
Hands: Baton
Water resistance: 100 meters
Strap: Black rubber, adorned with two grooves, buckle in stainless steel
Crystal: Sapphire
Case back: Sapphire
Evgueni Matoussevitch in Swiss WatchesTags: 100 m, 44 mm, AP Caliber 3126/3840, Audemars Piguet, Automatic, ceramic, Chronograph, date, Ref. 26400SO.OO.A002CA.01, Royal Oak Offshore, SIHH 2011
