In 1993, Audemars Piguet decided to once again disrupt the luxury watch market. As with the Royal Oak twenty years earlier, the reactions to the new model, the Royal Oak Offshore, are once again mixed. Gerald Genta is said to have forced his way into the Audemars Piguet showroom to protest what he considered a desecration of its original design. In short, the Royal Oak Offshore is a watch that causes strong divisions among enthusiasts. But why did this timepiece cause such a sensation?

The style of the Royal Oak Offshore is certainly impactful. The first impression is that this is an enlarged version of the original Royal Oak, and in fact many stylistic elements are taken from this. The differences, however, are quite marked, as Genta himself has vehemently pointed out. 

The rubber seal that ensures the watertightness is visible under the octagonal ring. The bracelet has more rounded links, and the rigorous geometries of the Royal Oak mix with broad and rounded lines. The rubber buttons and bezel, present on some of the very numerous – over one hundred and twenty! – references in which the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore is produced, become the subject of long discussions among collectors: in fact, they are less elegant elements and more subject to wear than their metal counterparts, but there is no doubt that they confer a unique aesthetic at the Offshore.

The Royal Oak Offshore by Audemars Piguet has gained global fame thanks also to its use by the actor Arnold Schwarzenegger: a marriage between the bodybuilder and the oversized watch, which has proved to be quite successful for the Le Brassus maison. 

In fact, the prices of the Royal Oak Offshore are quite high today, even when used, a sign of the public's appreciation for this watch. As mentioned, there are many versions of the Royal Oak Offshore, including ceramic and pink gold cases, diamond decorations and complications, advanced materials such as titanium. In short, if disruptive aesthetics are your thing, the Royal Oak Offshore that suits your tastes is certainly out there waiting for you.