The ultra-sporty version of the Royal Oak (Audemars Piguet's icon watch since 1972), the Royal Oak Offshore is the ultimate extreme chronograph that has for almost 20 years embodied the inexhaustible creativity and technical excellence which the Manufacture has devoted to serving performance and style. After having associated its name in the past with great drivers such as Rubens Barrichello, Juan Pablo Montoya and Jarno Trulli, Audemars Piguet is continuing its race to the heights by presenting a 250-piece special series of the Royal Oak Offshore dedicated to the young Swiss champion.
Controlled speed and an exceptional calibre
Driven by Manufacture Audemars Piguet Calibre 3126/3840, developed on the basis of the legendary Calibre 3120, this self-winding chronograph is a remarkable "engine" known for its great precision and exceptional reliability. These two qualities are ensured by a variable-inertia balance fitted with eight inertia blocks to guarantee accurate adjustment and excellent stability; an anthracite oscillating weight mounted on ceramic ball bearings; a cross-through balance bridge; as well as a stop-seconds time-setting mechanism. For optimal user-friendliness, the in-house made Calibre 3126/3840 is also fitted with an ingenious fast-date adjustment system serving to avoid any risk of the date disc blocking if a correction is made at midnight.
Entirely hand-assembled in the Manufacture workshops in Le Brassus, this calibre remains a benchmark in terms of its decoration. The main-plate is circular-grained on both sides. The bridges are adorned with Côtes de Genève and the sinks are diamond-polished, while the 22-carat gold oscillating weight is adorned with the refined touch of the Audemars and Piguet family crests. This bidirectional winding oscillating weight has also been given a galvanic treatment endowing it with an undeniably modern anthracite colour.
ROYAL OAK OFFSHORE SEBASTIEN BUEMI LIMITED EDITION CHRONOGRAPH
Reference 26207IO.OO.A002CA.01
250-piece limited edition
Movement
Manufacture Audemars Piguet self-winding Calibre 3126/3840
Diameter: 29.92 mm (13 ¼ lignes)
59 jewels
365 parts
Power reserve: approximately 60 hours
Frequency of the balance: approximately 21,600 vibrations per hour.
Finishing: hand-crafted circular-grained main-plate and bridges adorned with Côtes de Genève motif, diamond-polished jewel sinks, wheels with diamond-polished sinks and bevelled spokes, bevelled screw rims and slots, 22-carat gold bidirectional winding oscillating weight featuring the Audemars and Piguet family crests
Case
Titanium with sandblasted finishes and polished bevels
Diameter: 42 mm
Octagonal ceramic satin-brushed and polished bezel
Case back with transferred Buemi logo
Water resistance: 100 m
What sparked the idea of creating this Royal Oak Offshore Buemi?
Just before my first season with the Scuderia Toro Rosso, when I was fortunate enough to join the Audemars Piguet team as an ambassador, the idea of one day having a watch bearing my name seemed extremely far-fetched. In my mind, only great drivers such as Jarno Trulli, Juan Pablo Montoya or Rubens Barrichello had enjoyed this exceptional privilege. Later, in discussions with the Audemars Piguet engineers and its Artistic Director Octavio Garcia, the idea of making a Royal Oak Offshore with my name gradually began to take shape. The day when I was able to visit the Manufacture workshops and admire the watchmakers working on the first watches in this special edition was really exciting for me. I first discovered the separate elements – the dial, movement and strap – and then the various stages in assembling this chronograph. Above all, the chance to wear one of my watches for the first time gave me a great sense of pride.
What role did you play in developing this new Royal Oak Offshore model?
From 2010 onwards, I have been regularly involved in exchanging ideas and sharing my feelings with the Audemars Piguet watchmakers and engineers, whether in terms of the shapes, the colours of the materials used in creating this watch. It took time, but I am really proud of the result. The yellow is the main colour on my driver's helmet, which is why it enjoys pride of place on the dial. Moreover, I'm only 23 years old, so I wanted a watch that would reflect me and my age: the right balance between the ultra-technical nature of motor sports that must be revealed in the watch, and the simplicity which I believe sums up my own personality. Hence the presence of materials used in motor sports such as ceramics and titanium is of great significance. Last but not least, I like its technical yet sleekly sophisticated look, I feel it suits me!
What kind of ties can be woven between a young Swiss racing driver such as you and a more than century-old watch manufacturer that is indeed the oldest that is still in the hands of the founding families?
When I was 8 years old, I won the Swiss Karting Championship, and my father asked me what gift I would like. Believe it or not, I told him I would like a watch! You know, there are many similarities between the world of motor sports and that of Fine Watchmaking. In this particular context, we are looking at the cream of the crop in each field. Just as in a top-level racing team, I find in Audemars Piguet the team spirit, the same concern for details, the same quest for perfection and the same pursuit of performance. I might also add that Audemars Piguet is an exclusive and family-based luxury brand, and that's extremely important to me. I love the exceptional family spirit pervading the Audemars Piguet teams. Finally, above and beyond its well-established intrinsic technical qualities, the Royal Oak Offshore clearly has a unique style, often copied but never equalled…
Angus alluded to the fact that he suspects the maker of the Buemi might not get everything right on this one. He is also unsure about the demand. It could take a while before this model comes to market.
As for me, these baton-marker "new gen" AP models are pretty sedate and cool: i would rather prefer that AP take more risks rather than go the Hublot "Evolution" direction. Imagine the protest if Panerai eliminated their Arabic numerals from their dials. Bumble Bee and Queen's Road more up my ally.