The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore. A watch that has become synonymous with new world luxury. While serious collectors might be more attuned to the Royal Oak line of jumbo and perpetual calendar models, everyone else has their sights set on the sporty Offshores. Born out of the imagination of designer Emmanuel Gueit, the Offshore was conceived as a “Royal Oak for young people”, channelling industrial aesthetics and youthful vigour in an era of ultra-slim feyness.
Below: 1993 Royal Oak Offshore 
When the first Offshore made its debut at BaselWorld 1993, it wasn’t exactly met with open arms. Experts and pundits denounced the horological beast for its bulk; rumour even has it that legendary designer Gérald Genta (who designed the original Royal Oak) invaded the Audemars Piguet booth shouting that his creation had been completely destroyed. Needless to say, they were all completely wrong. The Offshore soon became one of the hottest luxury timepieces on the planet, literally bursting through the shirt cuffs of celebrities, rappers and athletes to become a true pop icon.
Since then, the Offshore has spawned innumerable limited editions showcasing Audemars Piguet’s penchant for aesthetic and material innovation. The 1999 End Of Days Offshore in collaboration with Arnold Schwarzenegger, for example, was the first all-black Offshore that led the way for black PVD-treated monochromes to populate the market. Then came the rubber-clad Offshore, the line’s first major material breakthrough that fused rubber with base steel or pink gold. These watches spoke to a new generation of watch buyers because they are simple to understand and easy to collect; their brazen appeal perfect for these arrivistes.
Below: 2002 first rubber-clad Royal Oak Offshore 
MAGNIFICENT SIX
For 2014, Audemars Piguet presents six new iterations of the Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph in the same oversize 42mm case. The Offshore design – so perfect, it has barely changed in two decades – now boasts a more technical, sculpted aesthetic with new black ceramic pushpieces and crown, while still retaining the iconic blueprint with octagonal facets, eight polished hexagonal screws, and ‘Méga Tapisserie’ dial. Facetted hands with luminous coating and polished decorative fillets surrounding the hour markers, sub-dials and date window also make for a more radiant dial to enhance readability of time. The new references are available in stainless steel or pink gold, with either a rubber or alligator strap in a broader taper and new pin buckle for greater comfort and ease of use.
Below: 2014 Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph 42mm
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