AUDEMARS PIGUET – ROYAL OAK Selfwinding Chronograph Black Ceramic 30th Anniversary

 

AUDEMARS PIGUET – ROYAL OAK Selfwinding Chronograph 43mm Black Ceramic 30th Anniversary - 2023

 AUDEMARS PIGUET CELEBRATES THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ROYAL OAK OFFSHORE WITH A NEW BLACK CERAMIC CHRONOGRAPH INSPIRED BY THE LIMITED EDITION “END OF DAYS” FROM 1999

Swiss Haute Horlogerie manufacturer Audemars Piguet is pleased to announce the launch of its new Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Chronograph. This black ceramic model pays homage to the Royal Oak Offshore “End of Days” (ref. 25770SN), released in 1999 in collaboration with Arnold Schwarzenegger that started the trend for limited series with celebrities from all walks of life. 

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Celebrating the 30th anniversary of the collection, this new contemporary model has a black aesthetic with yellow details. Limited to 500 pieces, the timepiece pays tribute to the collection that has been pushing the limits for 30 years.

A DOUBLE CELEBRATION

When launched in 1993 at the Basel Fair, the Royal Oak Offshore made quite an impression with its massive proportions (42 mm in diameter and 14.04 mm thick) and bold design. It was not until a few years later, however, that its success would really take off. The Royal Oak Offshore quickly made connections with different sectors, far removed from Haute Horlogerie, such as the worlds of sport, music and entertainment. 

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The Austrian/American actor was entrusted with the first special edition of the collection that was released in 1999 for his film End of Days (ref. 25770SN). It was an immediate success, projecting the Offshore collection into the limelight and launching a tradition of special editions in collaboration with celebrities.

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Celebrating the 30th anniversary of the collection this year, Audemars Piguet is paying tribute to this key reference that marked a turning point in the destiny of the Offshore collection. This new Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Chronograph, inspired by the 1999 model, celebrates the anniversary of the Royal Oak Offshore and its ties of friendship with celebrities from the worlds of entertainment, music and sport.

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“In 1999, the collaboration with Arnold Schwarzenegger for the Royal Oak Offshore End of Days started putting the collection on the map of a wider public for the first time. For the 30th anniversary of the Offshore, paying tribute to this specific timepiece is an obvious choice.”
François-Henry Bennahmias
CEO Audemars Piguet

A BLACK CERAMIC AESTHETIC

This new Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Chronograph model is presented in an extra-large 43 mm case, which is in line with the models introduced in 2020. This edition is made entirely of black ceramic with the addition of titanium details, such as the studs, push-pieces and case back. There are also  eight steel screws that attach the octagonal bezel to the case. The choice of these materials gives the watch a light and ergonomic feel despite its generous proportions (the total weight is only 103 grammes).

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The ceramic – an extremely hard material that is not very malleable – has been meticulously finished to reveal its many nuances and to match the complex lines of the Royal Oak Offshore case, while also meeting the high-quality standards demanded by Audemars Piguet. It is partly made of zirconium oxide powder that is combined with a specific binder. Its homogeneous colour only appears once the material is fired at a temperature exceeding 1000oC. Each component is then pre-polished and pre-satin-finished. Lines, angles and bevels are painstakingly hand-finished to achieve the Manufacture’s signature alternating polished and satin surfaces.  

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As a nod to the black and yellow aesthetic of the original 1999 model, the new Offshore features a black dial decorated with the new-generation Mega Tapisserie pattern and is illuminated with touches of yellow on the tachymeter scale as well as on the hour markers and the Royal Oak hands that are crafted from white gold, covered in a black treatment and enhanced with yellow luminescence. The applied gold AP logo stands out at 12 o’clock, while black counters grace the dial at 3, 6 and 9 o’clock.

INTEGRATED CHRONOGRAPH

This new reference is powered by the Manufacture’s latest selfwinding chronograph movement,
Calibre 4401, which is fully integrated with a column wheel and flyback function. This function allows
the chronograph to be reset and restarted with a single press of the push-piece – a patented process
that allows the chronograph counter hands to instantaneously return to the vertical position. 

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The column wheel works in conjunction with the vertical clutch and when started or stopped, the seconds
hand responds immediately, without jerking. Additionally, gentle pressure is enough to activate the
push-pieces, further enhancing the ergonomics of the timepiece.

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The oscillating weight is visible through the sapphire crystal case back. Crafted in 22-carat pink gold,
it has been coloured by NAC process to give it an anthracite grey hue. The sapphire case back also
reveals the movement’s refined decorations, including Côtes de Genève, circular graining, sunray
finishing, circular satin finishing and polished bevels. Last but not least, the titanium case back is
engraved with the words “Limited Edition of 500 Pieces”.

A LONG FRIENDSHIP WITH NUMEROUS COLLABORATIONS

Over the years, the Royal Oak Offshore has built its image through numerous collaborations with with strong personalities from the worlds of sport, music or cinema. These human encounters have enriched the collection, allowing it to evolve with time.

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Arnold Schwarzenegger, a collector of pocket watches, former bodybuilder turned actor and then Governor of California visited Le Brassus in 1997. He was already under the spell of the Audemars Piguet model launched in 1993, and a few months later, during a meeting in Santa Monica with François-Henry Bennahmias who was then a young salesman, his collaboration with AP was sealed.

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The Royal Oak Offshore End of Days (ref. 25770SN) was lauched in 1999 and celebrated the release of the film of the same name. The watch had a masculine aesthetic with a steel case covered with a PVD treatment – the first in the brand’s history – and a Kevlar strap. Several pieces of this limited edition of 500 pieces were sold to benefit Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Inner City Games Foundation, which provides sports and educational programmes for disadvantaged children. 

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The success of this first collaboration marked the beginning of many other limited editions with the American-Austrian actor - which total nine to date, including six Royal Oak Offshore models – but also with other celebrities such as Jay-Z or LeBron James.

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Today, the new Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Chronograph model comes with a black calfskin strap with a textile effect and yellow stitching. Thanks to the watch’s integrated interchangeable system, the owner can change his or her strap for a yellow calfskin version with black stitching, in a few simple steps.

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TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Model:   Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Chronograph  / 43 mm

End of Days 2023 Chronograph Edition

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Reference 26420CE.OO.A005VE.01  

MOVEMENT
Selfwinding Calibre 4401
Total diameter: 32 mm (14 lignes)
Movement thickness: 6.8 mm
Number of parts 381
Number of jewels: 40
Minimum guaranteed power reserve: 70 h
Frequency of balance wheel: 4 Hz (28,800 vibrations/hour)
Functions
Flyback chronograph, hours, minutes, small seconds and date
CASE
Black ceramic case and bezel
Diameter: 43 mm  
Thickness: 14.40 mm
Glare-proofed sapphire crystal and case back
Black ceramic push-pieces and screw-locked crown
Titanium crown protectors, studs and case back
Water resistant to 100 m
DIAL
Black dial with Mega Tapisserie pattern, counters and exterior zones in black
White gold applied hour markers and Royal Oak hands coated in black nickel with yellow luminescence, black inner bezel.
BRACELET
Black calfskin strap with textile effect and yellow stitching, titanium pin buckle
Additional interchangeable strap in yellow calfskin with black stitching

🔰  Limited Edition of 500 Pieces.

🔴 Price : incl. VAT 60'000 EUR / 53 900 CHF / USD 60,300 💰
 

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Press Release - 2023
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Audemars Piguet (Marketing) SA
Route de France 16 - Case postale 16
1348 Le Brassus - Switzerland

E-mail: laura.marino@audemarspiguet.com
Phone : + 41 21 642 39 00
Fax : + 41 21 642 34 02
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