Audemars Piguet’s sleek, new contemporary timepiece proves that things really do get better in your 30s. Dubbed the Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Chronograph, the 43 mm watch was made in celebration of the Offshore line’s 30th anniversary and pays homage to the End of Days (Ref. 25770SN) model that was co-designed with Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1999. Its black ceramic case and bezel are accented by a mega tapisserie dial featuring white-gold hour markers and hands coated in black nickel with yellow luminescence. The chronograph’s tachymeter scale is protected under its sapphire crystal.
The new version watch may match earlier editions in size, but its blend of ceramic and titanium details makes it a lighter alternative, weighing just 103 grams. Its ceramic components, partly made of zirconium oxide powder, are fired at temperatures over 1000 degrees Celsius. AP artisans then painstakingly hand polish and pre-satin finish each component, using eight steel screws to attach the bezel to the case.
The new limited-edition watch also honors AP’s first collaboration with bodybuilding champ-turned-actor, Arnold Schwarzenegger. Launched in 1999, the Royal Oak Offshore “End of Days” watch was created and named in celebration of a film the actor starred in. Its masculine design featured a steel case covered with a PVD treatment and the brand’s first-ever Kevlar strap. Only 500 units of the watch were created, and a few were sold to benefit the American-Austrian actor’s Inner Games Foundation. The End of Days watch marked the beginning of AP’s celebrity collabs—and kicked off a trend for the entire industry—and spawned six more Royal Oak Offshore models co-designed by Schwarzenegger.
Like previous models, the new Royal Oak Offshore does more than sit pretty on your wrist. The watch is equipped with the manufacturer’s Calibre 4401, which is integrated with a flyback chronograph, which can be reset and restarted with a single press of the push-piece. The movement cranks out 28,800 vph and provides a 70-hour minimum power reserve. You’ll be able to view its oscillating weight through the sapphire crystal caseback.
Limited to 500 units, the new Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Chronograph is now available at Audemars Piguet. It doesn’t come with a Kevlar strap, but you can choose between two calfskin straps: black with yellow stitching and yellow with black stitching. We don’t envy you the choice.
Previously published on Robb Report.
