SIHH 2011: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Arnold Schwarzenegger The Legacy Chronograph

2011 marks a new milestone in the historic partnership between Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Audemars Piguet, one of the most unique relationships in the watch industry. These two legends have collaborated to create the ultimate collector timepiece, The Royal Oak Offshore Arnold Schwarzenegger The Legacy Chronograph, a perfect blend of strength and control. This is anticipated to be the last watch in the series created by Schwarzenegger and Audemars Piguet.

Celebrating a Decade of Collaboration between Two Icons

The Royal Oak Offshore is the quintessential sports watch, a combination of audacity and performance, character traits that also define Arnold Schwarzenegger the actor, the politician and the man. This limited-edition timepiece, introduced today, is a vibrant tribute to this long-established friendship and like the previous designs in the Royal Oak Offshore portfolio, draws inspiration from Arnold Schwarzenegger’s onscreen roles as well as his human values. Like all the timepieces created in close cooperation between Audemars Piguet and Governor Schwarzenegger, the Royal Oak Offshore Arnold Schwarzenegger The Legacy Chronograph is a materspiece of rugged elegance.

The Royal Oak Offshore Arnold Schwarzenegger The Legacy Chronograph is issued in a 1,500-piece limited edition, each engraved on the back with the inscription Royal Oak Offshore Arnold Schwarzenegger The Legacy. Inspired by the case of the Royal Oak Offshore Arnold All-Stars Chronograph it is the first Audemars Piguet watch to feature an all-ceramic 48-millimeter case middle and bezel. The watch is supplied with an anthracite aramid fiber strap, along with an additional strap in hand-sewn black crocodile leather with large square scales.

Strength is Nothing Without Control

The combination of materials and exceptional level of finishing of the Royal Oak Offshore testifies to the consistent attention lavished on each and every detail. The sheer sophistication of its design makes this watch a showcase of an impressive range of technical know-how.

For the very first time in an Audemars Piguet watch, the case middle and bezel are made entirely from black ceramics. The true feat here does not lie in the use of ceramics, since watchmaking has shown an interest in this material for a certain time already, but instead in its level of finishing. In this case a diamond grinding-wheel removes tiny layers of material from the ceramics in order to achieve the same level of detail as on steel, while the process involves a number of different operations that are far more delicate and far more time-consuming. Thus the ceramic case appears to glow in a variety of light conditions and gives off a shimmering high-tech glow. The vertical satin-brushed surface of the case middle creates an attractive contrast with a beadblasted finish applied to its recessed upper and lower sections at 6 and 12 o’clock, generating a depth effect that makes the lugs stand out even more distinctly. The upper surface of the bezel is vertical satin-brushed, while the beveled sides are polished and shiny.

The contrast between black and anthracite is further enhanced by the use of bead-blasted titanium, chosen for the screws that punctuate the octagonal bezel, the pushpiece-guards, the two applied inserts on the left side of the case, the back of the watch, as well as the pin buckle of the strap.

To add the perfect finishing touch to the range of materials, the applied numerals, as well as the hour-markers at 3, 6, 9 and 12 o’clock are crafted in vertical diamond-polished pink gold; the gold of the push-pieces is adorned with a non-slip gridwork motif echoing the geometrical “Tapisserie” pattern that is a signature feature of Royal Oak Offshore dials. The decorative disc adorning the crown is also in pink gold. Finally, the pushpiece-guards are composed of a rubber-moulded part, to which an additional bead-blasted titanium element is secured by a visible screw. Like other Royal Oak Offshore models, the case is embellished on the left-hand side with inserts accentuating its sporting appearance, while the anthracite aramid fibre strap adds a further technical touch to this rugged timepiece. The mechanical movement inside features an equally exceptional level of expertise, and the hand-assembled, finely decorated self-winding movement is equipped with an ultra-efficient chronograph mechanism that measures short times where speed and power are of the essence.

TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Reference

26378IO.OO.A001KE.01

1,500-piece limited edition

Movement

Self-winding Calibre 2326/2840

Total diameter: 29.92 mm (13 ¼ lignes)

Casing diameter: 26 mm

Thickness: 6.2 mm

50 jewels

370 parts

38-hour power reserve

Cadence of the balance: 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz)

Variable-inertia balance with inertia-blocks and flat balance-spring

Three-position winding crown

Finishing: all parts finely decorated; mainplate rhodium-plated, beveled and circular-grained; bridges adorned with Côtes de Genève

Case

Black ceramic case, bezel; bead-blasted titanium screws, bead-blasted titanium elements on the left side of the case

Pushpiece-guards in rubber and bead-blasted titanium

18-carat pink gold push-pieces, contact surface adorned with grid-work pattern

Black ceramic crown adorned with a pink gold disc

Diameter: 48 mm

Thickness: 14.1 mm

Bead-blasted titanium caseback engraved with the inscription Royal Oak Offshore Arnold Schwarzenegger The Legacy, steel screws

Water resistance: 100 meters

Dial

Black with exclusive “Méga Tapisserie” motif

Numerals and hour-markers in diamond-polished pink gold

Faceted hour and minute hands with luminescent coating

Strap

Anthracite aramid fibers, secured by bead-blasted titanium pin buckle. Additional strap in hand sewn black crocodile leather with large square scales

Functions

Hours and minutes

Small seconds

Chronograph with center sweep-seconds hand, 30-minute and 12-hour counters at 9 and 6 o’clock respectively

Tachometric scale

Date