In 1993, Audemars Piguet introduced to the world its first big and bold Royal Oak Offshore, which kick-started a global trend for larger-than-life luxury sports watches. The Royal Oak Offshore as a watch and as a concept “could have died on the day it was born…people said, it’s too big, it’s insane!”, according to Audemars Piguet CEO François-Henry Bennahmias.
Far from dying, it grew from strength to strength, and has continued to dare. Since then, the collection has been redesigned many times and has been worn by world-famous aficionados, including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jay-Z and Lebron James.
“It was a watch created for a young generation. Part of the success is that it has an anti-establishment, almost a counter-culture aspect. You have this incredibly hand-finished, luxury watch, the use of industrial materials, large size, boldness, dynamic – that’s part of the reason it remains so relevant 25 years later.” – Michael Friedman, Historian at Audemars Piguet.
To celebrate Royal Oak Offshore’s well deserved 25th birthday, Audemars Piguet has released three new models. A re-edition inspired by the 1993 model accompanied by two new limited series of the Royal Oak Offshore Tourbillon Chronograph: one in stainless steel and one in 18-carat pink gold.
Bennahmias continued: “we have a long history behind us since 1875, but we have to look at what’s happening tomorrow. That is in the brand’s DNA. To break the rules, you must first master them.”
