Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Tourbillon Chronograph Watch 2010 New Model

Audemars Piguet expresses horological passion in countless different ways. Tradition is omnipresent, both as a source of inspiration and as a reservoir of invaluable know-how. Certain creations, imbued with this time-honored legacy while also strongly rooted in the contemporary era, have paved the way for entirely new approaches. They combine tradition and technology, fine watchmaking and cutting-edge industrial methods. The Royal Oak Offshore Tourbillon Chronograph undoubtedly belongs to this category of exceptional watches. Its design is innovative, its materials are daring, and it beats to the rhythm of a 100% in-house movement.

Calibre 2912 is a hand-wound movement entirely developed and produced by Audemars Piguet. It combines a tourbillon, a column-wheel chronograph and a double barrel. Its distinctively modern aesthetic is expressed through the contemporary style of the bridges and the overall architecture. The sapphire crystal exhibition back provides a perfect view of the chronograph and coupling bridges accentuating the original nature of this movement through their geometrical shape and black eloxed aluminium material. The finishing is equally elegant and meticulously executed.

The Royal Oak Offshore Tourbillon Chronograph is intended for connoisseurs of fine watchmaking with a distinct preference for beautiful mechanisms along with a penchant for vanguard designs. Their attention will first be drawn to the majestic elegance of the pink gold case with its integrated pushpiece guards. The scooped decorative detailing at 1,5, 7 and 11 o'clock adds a sophisticated touch, while the alternating satin-brushed and polished finishing enhances the refinement and aesthetic appeal of each surface. The strength of this model lies chiefly in contrasts. The shimmering glow of the pink gold is set off to optimal advantage by the surrounding black zone. The legendary octagonal bezel with its polished hexagonal screws is made of forged carbon – an ultra-sporty streaked material exclusively developed for Audemars Piguet. Widely used in the aeronautical industry, it has been adapted to the small size of the parts and to the stringent finishing demands imposed by fine watchmaking standards. The pushpieces and the crown are in black ceramics. It is worth noting that the screw-lock crown is equipped with a torque-restricting system that avoids the movement being unduly strained during winding. The dial displays the same play on contrasts, with the numerals standing out clearly against its snailed black base and the black eloxed aluminium of the tourbillon and barrel bridges. Symmetry also plays a premier role on this dial. The 30-minute counter is echoed by the open-worked zone revealing the tourbillon at 9 o'clock, while the barrel cut-outs face each other at 6 and 12 o'clock, surrounded by an exquisitely fine border. The ultimate subtle details are provided by the pink gold applied numerals and the hour and minute hands with a luminescent center. The Royal Oak Offshore Tourbillon Chronograph is teamed with a black alligator leather strap featuring an AP folding clasp in 18-carat pink gold.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Royal Oak Offshore Tourbillon Chronograph

Reference

26288OF.OO.D002CR.01

Pink gold case, black crocodile leather strap

Movement

Calibre : 2912, hand-wound, two barrels, tourbillon

Total diameter : 34.60 mm (15 1/3 lignes)

Casing diameter: 33.80

Thickness : 10.67 mm

30 jewels

328 parts

Up to 237-hour power reserve

Cadence of the balance: 21,600 vibrations per hour (3 Hz)

Finishing: all parts meticulously decorated: hand-polished chamfering; mainplate featuring small circular-grained motifs, hand-drawn strokes; dial side: black eloxed aluminum tourbillon bridge and barrel bridges; movement side: chronograph bridge adorned with Audemars Piguet signature and coupling bridge in black eloxed aluminum; snailed and small circular-grained barrels bearing the Audemars Piguet signature.

Case

18-carat pink gold, scoops at 1, 5, 7 and 11 o'clock

Forged carbon bezel

Black ceramic crown and pushers

Crown with torque-restricting system

Diameter: 44 mm

Thickness: 16.60 mm

Sapphire crystal exhibition back with Royal Oak Offshore inscription

Water-resistant to 20 meters

Dial

Black, snailed and open-worked at 6, 9 and 12 o'clock

Applied hollowed pink gold numerals with luminescent coating

Black flange

Pink gold hour and minute hands with luminescent coating

Strap

Hand-sewn black alligator leather with large square scales, 18-carat pink gold AP folding clasp

Functions

Hours and minutes

Chronograph with sweep seconds hand and 30-minute counter at 3 o'clock

Flange bearing a tachometric scale

Chinese New Year holiday, stop writing blog for half a month, i will return to work on February 22.

Happy Chinese New Year !

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph Perpetual Calendar watch

The Audemars Piguet watch design has served as the basis for a variety of exciting mechanical complications.

The Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph Perpetual Calendar watch first of all offers a chronograph feature which is capable of measuring time intervals within 30 minutes or up to 12 hours with precision to within 1/8 of a second; however what makes this watch truly remarkable is its perpetual calendar mechanism, which indicates day of the week, date, month, moonphases, and leap year, automatically adjusting to account for months of less than 31 days, and the month of February in particular (the month critically affected by the leap year cycle). Audemars Piguet has fitted the Royal Oak Offshore Perpetual Calendar Chronograph watch with a fine selfwinding movement. Based upon the excellent Jaeger-LeCoultre 889 Caliber, which has been considerably modified by Audemars Piguet, this movement demonstrates excellent reliability and winding efficiency, as well as traditional watchmaking craft. The mainplate of the movement is adorned with perlage circular graining, while the bridges show off Cotes de Geneve (striping) and edges which have been finely chamfered. The centrally mounted rotor, gilt engraved with the technical specifications and the brand signature, displays Cotes de Geneve finishing, and also a mass-enhancing peripheral sector in 21K gold.

The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Perpetual Calendar Chronograph watch features a case and bracelet made from titanium, stainless steel, or 18K gold. This intricate design, which features many dozens of intricate facets and contrasts between brushed and polished surfaces demands extensive hand finishing, and is a true masterpiece of luxurious craftsmanship. The eight sided bezel, vertically brushed on top, and polished on its sides, displays the hexagonal screws that characterize the Royal Oak watch design; the slots of these iconic screws are aligned to form a circle around the dial, which is decorated with an intricate "Grand Tapisserie" pattern and polished gold hour markers and hands which have been filled with luminous material.

Despite its exquisite complicated movement and unsurpassed finish, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Perpetual Calendar Chronograph watch is truly sports capable, its sealed case with rubber coated crown and pushers ensuring water-resistance to a depth of 100 meters. Also of note, a soft-iron inner shield covers the movement, protecting it against the ravages of magnetic fields. To ensure that the Royal Oak Offshore Perpetual Calendar Chronograph watch stays securely fastened to its owners wrist during any activity, Audemars Piguet has equipped the bracelet with a double sided deployant clasp that has an additional folding clasp for added confidence.