One of our favorites discontinued limited edition watches and truly a rare bird is the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Alinghi Team in Forged Carbon. The Alinghi Team is a Swiss sailing team that was created by Ernesto Bertarelli and is revered for bringing the America’s Cup trophy to Europe for the first time in 132 years. The Team Alinghi’s victory at the America's Cup in 2003 inspired Audemars Piguet to design and present in 2005 the Royal Oak Offshore Alinghi Polaris ref. 26040ST —limited edition of 2,000 pieces— with an innovative special new movement featuring a regatta flyback chronograph function.
Posts filed under Audemars Piguet
From the Editor: Celebrate Mexican Independence Day with my Favorite AP Royal Oak Offshore. The 'Pride of Mexico'.
Today, along with all my fellow Mexican watch collectors, I celebrate Mexican Independence Day and there’s no better watch that I would like to talk about for the occasion than the ultra elusive Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore 'Pride of Mexico'.
Introducing: Five New Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Chronos 42 mm ref. 26238
Today, Audemars Piguet presents five new iterations of the Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Chronograph models in 42 mm equipped with the latest integrated flyback chronograph movement, calibre 4404. The new five models include versions in titanium, stainless steel, and 18K rose gold. The first three models mirror the look of the original Royal Oak Offshore ref. 25721ST ‘The Beast’ which you can read all about it here.
Introducing: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Titanium Salmon Dial
Joining the other limited editions of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar comes now a 300-piece limited edition in titanium with a salmon dial. Some of the other limited edition pieces include the 50-piece limited edition in platinum with ice blue dial for Switzerland, the 100-piece in pink gold with pink-toned dial for Latin America, the 50-piece in stainless steel with a green dial for Hong Kong…
Introducing: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph Amethyst ref. 26319OR
Audemars Piguet is delighted to unveil its new Royal Oak Chronograph in 38 mm that will be available solely in Audemars Piguet boutiques. For the first time, the Manufacture is offering a solid 18K pink gold timepiece with a bezel that has been set with an array of 32 baguette-cut amethysts. These purple gemstones surround and match the tones of the timepiece’s purple dial to perfection. Developed by the Manufacture’s artisans, the timepiece’s dial displays a range of purple hues that dance and change color in the light.
Introducing: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Black Ceramic
The history of the use of black ceramics by Audemars Piguet is quite extensive. The first external components honed from ceramics made their debut at Audemars Piguet in the late 1980s. In the early 2000s, new materials and alloys inspired by technical fields as diverse as aeronautics and automotive sports made their way into the watchmaking industry, the Royal Oak Offshore and Royal Oak Concept collections being perfect platforms to experiment with these high-tech materials.
Introducing: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Jumbo Extra-Thin ref. 15202XT 'ONLY Watch' Unique Piece
Audemars Piguet presents its Royal Oak “Jumbo” Extra-Thin Only Watch unique piece. This dedicated timepiece is the last unique 15202 reference powered by Calibre 2121, the thinnest automatic movement with central rotor and date indication of its time, first introduced on the Royal Oak in 1972. Reference 15202 and Calibre 2121 will officially retire at the end of 2021, making way for the new generation. While offering new grey hues, the “Petite Tapisserie” dial of this unique watch has retained the original Royal Oak’s typography for the signature and AP monogram as introduced with the 5402 A series.
From the Archives: Visiting the Audemars Piguet Manufacture in Le Brassus. A Longtime Dream Becomes a Reality.
Back in 1998, I purchased my first Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, it was a stainless steel ref. 5402ST A-series that I should've never sold. After buying that first AP, the two-tone Royal Oak ref. 5402SA you see in the picture above was the one that followed. For 20 years as an AP collector and 28 years as a watch collector, I've longed to visit the Audemars Piguet manufacture in Le Brassus, Switzerland.
Rare Bird: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Championship Edition. The Nick Faldo Golfer's Dream Set.
Phil Mickelson won the PGA Championship this weekend becoming the oldest golfer at age 50 to win a major championship in the history of the sport. He was wearing an old Rolex Cellini with a white dial while making history. While professional golfers are often spotted wearing special timepieces, there are just a few watches out there that can be directly linked to a particular golfer.
Watch Auctions: Superb Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 'Jumbo' B-Series to be Auctioned by Phillips Watches
Launched in 1972 at Basel Fair, Audemars Piguet's introduction of the Royal Oak marked the beginning of the luxury sports watch market we know today, causing an immediate sensation as the watch industry had never seen anything comparable before. At the time the most expensive stainless steel wristwatch available, it most notably housed the extra slim calibre 2121 based on the Jaeger-LeCoultre cal. 920, that would later be found in the Nautilus wristwatch.
From the Editor: A Disassembled Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore 'Panda'. A Feast for the Eyes of AP Fans.
Mexico City is one of the watch capitals of the world. Regardless of the crime wave that has hit the country over the last 20 years, hardcore watch collectors trade pieces and buy/sell watches on a regular basis. More than eight years ago on one of my visits to Mexico City, I decided to call one of my favorite preowned watch dealers in the city and pay him a visit. I still remember like it was yesterday, when I purchased from him my very first Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Jumbo A-Series back in 1998.
From the Editor: My Honest Thoughts on the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept 'Black Panther' Flying Tourbillon
Never in my wildest dreams, I would’ve imagined I’d be writing something like this. As you all know, I’ve been a fan of Audemars Piguet since 1998 when I purchased my first Royal Oak Jumbo ref. 5402 A-series and it is no secret that AP is one of my three favorite watch brands.
From the Editor: AP Royal Oak Extra-Thin 'Jumbo' 15202ST Pricing Skyrockets as the King is Dead, Long Live the King!
The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Extra-Thin ‘Jumbo’ reference 15202ST.OO.1240ST.01 released in 2012 —to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Royal Oak— is as close as it gets to owning the original Royal Oak Jumbo ref. 5402ST from 1972.
News: Audemars Piguet CODE 11.59 Chronograph with Ceramic Middle Case ref. 26393
For the very first time, Audemars Piguet evolves the CODE 11.59 collection with two pioneering models bringing together 18K white or pink gold cases with black ceramic middle cases. Entwining bold aesthetics and uncompromising craftsmanship, these two-tone timepieces have pushed the manufacturing and hand finishing of the collection’s multi-faceted case to new heights. While the bezel, lugs, and case back are made in 18K white or pink gold, the octagonal middle case is honed from black ceramics.
News: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chrono with In-House Movement ref. 26239
Audemars Piguet is pleased to unveil a new evolution of the Royal Oak Chronograph. Housed within a 41mm 18K pink gold case, this model is equipped for the first time with the latest generation in-house chronograph movement, the automatic Calibre 4401, visible through the watch’s sapphire case back. Two dial options are available, executed in blue or brown hues.
News: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Flying Tourbillon Flyback Chronograph ref. 26622TI
Audemars Piguet is happy to announce the release of a new complication in the Royal Oak Offshore collection. Limited to 100 pieces, the new self-winding timepiece combines flying tourbillon with flyback chronograph in a brand new case diameter of 43 mm, paving the way for a new generation of redesigned Royal Oak Offshore models.
News: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Diver Next Generation ref. 15720ST in 3 Versions
The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Diver has always been a favorite and the entry point watch into the Royal Oak Offshore collection. For 2021, Audemars Piguet has updated the Royal Oak Offshore Diver maintaining the same case proportions at 42 mm in diameter but this time the watch is equipped with ceramic crowns, a new dial with applied ‘AP’ logo at 12 o’clock, a new in-house automatic calibre 4308 and an interchangeable strap system that allows the wearer to switch between straps without the need for tools.
News: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Collection Goes All Green with Five New Models
Right after St. Patrick’s Day, Audemars Piguet goes all green presenting five brand new Royal Oaks all featuring bright green dials. The new green dial models include a new Royal Oak Extra-Thin ‘Jumbo’ in platinum ref. 15202PT.OO.1240PT.01, a limited edition 41 mm Royal Oak Chronograph in 18K yellow gold ref. 26331BA.OO.1220BA.02 in a limited edition of 125 pieces, then a 50-piece limited edition 41 mm Royal Oak Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon in titanium ref. 26534TI.OO.1220TI.01,
News: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual UAE Limited Edition ref. 26613ST
Joining the other regional or country-specific limited editions of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar comes now a 75-piece limited edition for the United Arab Emirates. These limited edition pieces include the 50-piece limited edition in platinum with ice blue dial for Switzerland, the 100-piece in pink gold with pink-toned dial for Latin America, the 50-piece in stainless steel with a green dial for Hong Kong, the 88-piece collaboration with Horoloupe in titanium with a slate grey dial with red accents for China, the 20-piece in platinum with black dial for Yoshida in Japan, the 20-piece in white gold with a red dial for Thailand, and lastly the 20-piece in platinum with sand-colored dial for the Time Place in Indonesia.
Insider: Explaining the Different Types of Audemars Piguet Tapisserie Dials
The dial on the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak is one of the most iconic dials in the watch world and there is more than meets the eye to its making and different textures. Audemars Piguet released the Royal Oak in 1972 with a dial featuring a ‘Clous de Paris’ guilloché motif that is referred to by AP as ‘petite tapisserie’. Then in 1993, the Royal Oak Offshore was released with a similar type of tapisserie but there are small nuances between the two and the rest of Royal Oaks and Royal Oak Offshores out there.
