In this article, Alexey Kutkovoy continues to look back at the limited and special editions of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore collection, which turned 30 in 2023. Here he explores another side of ROO’s history: watches dedicated to vintage and classic car rallies.
In this fourth article commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore (following: 4 New 2023 Releases, Here Come ‘The Beasts’, and ROO F1s, High Octane Fairy Tales of Super Star Racing Drivers), here is the topic that initially interested Alexey Kutkovoy the most, i.e. the annals of the Royal Oak Offshore limited and special editions.
The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore limited editions dedicated to the world of Formula 1 are one of the most interesting chapters in the history of the Offshore collection, which turns 30 this year. The release of such Offshores did not last long, from 2004 to 2012. Many of us were there, but for many everything was somehow forgotten and it is worth refreshing memories.
While reflecting on the various limited edition Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshores, Alexey Kutkovoy realized something that had escaped him: there are not many ROO versions of the original ‘The Beast’ design. In fact, there are very few. You can count them on one hand.
Has history been rewritten? An early Gérald Genta design made for IWC – regrettably never put into production – suggests so. On June 22, 2022 the not-yet-seen sketch was auctioned by Sotheby’s.
Alexey Kutkovoy considers the introduction of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak in 1972 to be one of the most important turning points in the evolution of wristwatches in the 20th century. Here he looks at the history of the Offshore and highlights 4 new models for the Offshore’s 30th anniversary.
We’ve all got our “fishing” stories regarding “the one that got away.” John Keil’s involves an Audemars Piguet that arguably started the Limited Edition Offshore craze and starred in a movie to boot: the Royal Oak Offshore T3.
If GaryG wants to buy a watch of any significance it requires that he sells one or more other pieces. The bad news is that all of the watches he doesn’t really love were sold off a long time ago! As a result, the discipline of asking “What watch in his current collection do I love less than this potential new purchase?” has become tougher and tougher. Here he shares three watches that he feels are long term-keepers and why.
“The Holy Trinity,” as any watch nerd knows, refers to the triumvirate of Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, and Vacheron Constantin. Colin Smith takes a look at what we mean – or think we mean – when we describe PP, AP, and VC as the “Holy Trinity” of watchmaking and when we describe a timepiece as our “grail watch.”
Five of the six watches in this Tourbillon category are either openworked or dial-less, so their visuals are not dissimilar. Five of the six are also one-minute tourbillons. One-half of the finalists have flying tourbillons, while another boasts a cylindrical tourbillon, and yet another has a constant-force tourbillon. How will our panel ever choose a winner?