The first generation Audemars Piguet replica Royal Oak Offshore
All eyes are on the Royal Oak, the importance of this legendary offshore watch cannot be overlooked.
The Royal Oak Offshore might not be on everyone's wish list this Christmas, but there are plenty of men who are willing to buy a first edition Beast to crown their collection. The hype may have revolved around Gerald Genta's Royal Oak, designed in 1972, but the Offshore collection was just as important to Audemars Piguet and its current success. Offshore has history and significance; it is legendary and will turn 30 next year. As our guest, we had to put it in the collector's corner.
Background - From RO to ROO This year Audemars Piguet celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Royal Oak, an impressive design innovation in 1972 and more. Some say the watch was designed by Gérald Genta (whose epic portfolio of iconic designs recently sold at auction and reminds us yet again of Genta's true talent and influence on the industry), saving Audemars Piguet from the Quartz Blitz The fate of failure. Legend has it that Georges Golay, then managing director of AP, called the already famous Gérald Genta on the eve of the 1971 Basel Fair and urgently commissioned him to request for the Italian dealer The unprecedented steel table design. Genta offers one and they say it won't take too long to produce. A year later, when the Royal Oak came out, the response was shocking and there was little applause, but we all know where it stands today.cheap watches for sale
The road to stardom isn't always paved with rose petals, however. The Royal Oak Offshore was designed in 1989 to celebrate the Royal Oak's 20th anniversary - and to boost sales. The first luxury stainless steel sports watch did not fare well, with sales steadily declining, and like the Golay in 1971, Stephen Urquhart, then chairman of AP, turned to a creative in 1989. Young designer Emmanuel Gueit, who has been with the company for about a year, was asked to "create something that young people would want to wear". Gueit delves into the task, feeling no limits, typical young man, from a family of watchmakers, fearless.
Emmanuel Gueit recalled in numerous interviews that the project was often shelved because company management doubted the appropriateness of releasing a watch made to Gueit's designs. It was too big and heavy to sell. Gérald Genta disapproved of the Offshore concept - he hated it and expressed it openly. All these doubts pushed back the new Offshore collection, originally scheduled for 1992, by a year. In 1993, the Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph Ref. 25721ST.OO.1000ST.01 was launched. Stephen Urquhart suggested its name as a link between the worlds of powerboat racing and luxury yachting. Urquhart also nicknamed the Offshore "The Beast" for its massive case, which is a perfect alias.Patek Philippe replica
ROO 25721ST – Fundamentals 1993 The first Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore was an enlarged version of the elegant Royal Oak, designed for the adventurous crowd, with a 42 mm diameter, 15 mm thick steel case and blue Therban (rubber) chronograph pushers and scales crown. RO's anniversary model, this watch features an octagonal bezel with rubber gasket, eight signature hex screws, a small blue checked dial and an integrated bracelet. The outer edge of the dial features a tachymeter scale, counters in a 12-6-9 layout, and a date window at 3 o'clock.
The first trial series – watches numbered D23744 to D23843 – had no reference to the new Offshore name on the screw-down case back; only “Royal Oak” was inscribed, so the first 100 produced were “unmarked” "Watches are rare. Other important details help identify the Offshore as a 1993 original, but we'll get to that later. Caliber 2126/2840 is based on the JLC caliber 888 with a Dubois-Depraz module and is protected from magnetic fields by an iron cage. To access the movement, you have to remove the bottom cover, and then the cover of the protective case, held in place by four small screws. The Offshore is a well-conceived and well-developed watch that is much more than the result of superficial design.best replica tourbillon watches
In addition to the missing "Offshore" lettering on the case back, the first 100 "Beasts" watches also featured a bracelet with a special clasp featuring a bi-folding blade. This also applies to the following 400 watches produced, but this attribute is essential if you want the coveted watches from D23744 to D23843. 25721ST Early series removable links are secured by screws, two on each side of the link.
Let's say you were lucky enough to get your hands on an early original Royal Oak Offshore. In that case you will definitely notice that the blue dial has lost its nice color and is starting to show some brown from the brass plate where the erratic paint, typical of RO and ROO by 1999, is getting Loses its color - brings a tropical effect. There is no need to be disappointed; this is additional evidence that you are dealing with the correct specimen.replica watches for sale
Speaking of colour, the rubberized buttons and crown should also be dark blue. We're told that when AP isn't servicing the watch, the Therban material (an elastomer that's extremely heat-resistant) is often replaced by less-performing black rubber, so that's another detail to look out for. Another essential detail is the watch’s box – an octagonal green with blue accents and a circular window at the top to reveal the word “The Beast” inside.
Offshore in 1993, like the Royal Oak two decades earlier, was not an immediate success, initially proving skeptics right and the project's proponent Stephen Urquhart wrong. Italians took an immediate liking to the watch, and it became popular with the young, well-to-do crowd. Things really started to change when legendary Italian alpine skier Alberto Tomba started wearing the Offshore endorsement. Sales are back up, and there's nothing stopping the Royal Oak Offshore from conquering the world now, and it is. Multiple versions of "The Beast" will be produced, including a limited edition, with celebrities helping Offshore reach its cult status.
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore challenges expectations, inviting experimentation with new materials and forms. Like the Royal Oak, Offshore helped define Audemars Piguet as a brand. Not a mechanical marvel at all; the offshore type is a different animal.JACOB & CO ASTRONOMIA TOURBILLON