Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Diver Copy Watch 26703ST.OO.A027CA.01

The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore was created to mark the 20th anniversary of the Royal Oak. It was delayed and finally unveiled in Baselworld 1993. The design was undertaken by the then young, talented second generation designer working for AP Emmanuel Gueit. AP’s CEO then was Stephen Urquhart, who then went on to run Omega and recently retired. Urquhart’s brief to Gueit was to make a RO for the young people. The design was unusual in those days. The case was large for its day at 42mm in diameter, and although it took cues from Genta’s work, it was quite different. The octagonal bezel was, perhaps the only strong linkage to Genta.

The case was so massive that to fill the space from the selected JLC module chronograph movement (JLC base, Dubuis Depraz module), AP decided to use a soft iron core around the movement. This later became a selling point that the ROO was anti-magnetic. The links of the bracelet were curved, there was a massive visible black gasket on the bezel. The chronograph pushers and crown had silicon caps. And the stylized crown protection gave the case an even more massive feel, and it was nicknamed, “The Beast”. The initial shock and derision gave way to familiarity, and then all of a sudden, the ROO was the latest “It watch”. More replica Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Diver.

The case remains the massive 42mm diameter/17.5mm thick one used in the regular ROO Diver. Even the black ceramic crowns are the same. Two additional ceramic pushers does duty for the chronograph. The iconic octagonal bezel with white gold hexagonal screws in their hexagonal countersinks has great presence. As with the other ROs and ROOs, the screws are not actually driven into the case from the bezel side, but fastened from the other side by tightening the corresponding nut. The case is rated to a depth rating of 300m, and is a serious dive watch with an ISO rating. As with the ROO Diver, a crown at 10 o’clock operates the outer chapter ring which works as a dive bezel. Turning only in one direction so one can decrease the indicated dive time, but never increase it, it features a bright yellow section fron 0-15 marking the critical last 15 minutes of dive time. The Green and Orange versions have this section in the same green and orange as the dial and rubber strap, and the Yellow version is the same as the Blue with a yellow section.