A couple of years in the past, I predicted that after a interval of manufacturers providing extra unique or spirited hues as main colours for luxurious timepieces, finally, a black-toned watch would debut and really feel comparatively particular. About 20 years in the past, an attention-grabbing development within the watch trade resulted in an enormous quantity of “all-black” watches being launched. Whereas it was not solely Jean-Claude Biver’s Hublot that promoted the black-on-black watch development, his fervor and vitality impressed a lot of the trade to give attention to black-colored watches. Now, in 2025, I feel we’re practically on the level of all-black watches feeling hip once more, and this extraordinarily high-end all-black ceramic Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Chronograph 42mm reference 26238CE.OO.13000CE.02 is proof of that. This is likely one of the new 2025 Royal Oak Offshore watches from Audemars Piguet this 12 months, and it’s the first time Audemars Piguet has paired a black ceramic bracelet with a contemporary model of the Royal Oak Offshore.
Because the Nineteen Nineties, the Royal Oak Offshore has been a macho staple of the high-end timepiece world. It was initially created as a bigger, sportier model of the usual Royal Oak, which, on the time, was about 20 years outdated, having initially debuted within the early Seventies. Audemars Piguet used the Royal Oak Offshore assortment to experiment with novel design cues and supplies, although that interval has seemingly ended on the model which is now extra targeted on fashionability and picture. Ceramic as a fabric for case elements was utilized by Audemars Piguet for the primary time in a Royal Oak Offshore, and later total watch circumstances and bracelets have been produced in ceramic to have a good time the long-lasting type of the Gerald Genta-designed Royal Oak kind. At present, Audemars Piguet has produced the Royal Oak in a wide range of ceramic colours, providing as many choices as potential throughout the industrial limitations of these colours through which zirconium dioxide will be successfully produced.
Audemars Piguet’s drawback was that as ceramic and different once-exclusive supplies (akin to cast carbon) grew to become standard with different firms, they wanted new methods to say themselves as a luxurious model whereas providing their shoppers an elite possession and carrying expertise. Fairly than give attention to value competitors, Audemars Piguet reworked as a model, positioning itself someplace between a personal membership and a jewellery/trend home the place the value of their items was of secondary significance to what varieties of well-known and highly effective individuals have been seen carrying their merchandise. Audemars Piguet thus targeted much less on pure experimentation and extra on refinement and sweetness. At present’s Audemars Piguet watches really feel extraordinarily polished, providing a stunning rendition of a basic iconic kind, whereas permitting its wearers to point out off that they’re comfy spending lavishly on type, versus practicality. In fact, you possibly can spend much less to get a black ceramic watch on an identical black ceramic bracelet, however it received’t be an Audemars Piguet, will it?
One other attention-grabbing element about this Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Chronograph 42mm watch is that it continues the development for some Audemars Piguet watches to not have the complete model identify written on the dial, a follow I first famous when writing a few completely different model of the fashionable Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Chronograph 43mm. Audemars Piguet at present makes each a 42mm and 43mm huge Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph, with barely completely different motion layouts. Each select to go along with a extra colloquial “AP” emblem on the dial as an alternative of the complete “Audemars Piguet” identify. It appears nice sufficient, although I discover it bizarre from a branding-consistency standpoint. That stated, watch lovers on the market are absolutely conscious that the individuals who like Audemars Piguet fall into two camps: those that consult with the model as “Audemars Piguet,” and those that desire to easily say “AP.” Are these watches strictly supposed for that latter crowd?
The 42mm-wide case is water resistant to 100 meters and is 15.3mm thick. Whereas fashionable, it echoes a number of the authentic design cues of the primary Royal Oak Offshore watches together with the smaller chronograph pushers (that have been initially black rubber coated versus ceramic), and far of the dial structure. Every little thing from the arms and hour markers to the motion is newer, although. The normal “mega tapiserie” face design continues to be good-looking, and the general face design combines sportiness with conventional magnificence. The arms and hour markers start as white gold after which get coated in black. The dial isn’t solely “black on black” with simply sufficient lighter colours for legibility, however that is very a lot an “all black” ceramic watch from Audemars Piguet.
Inside this model of the Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Chronograph is the model’s in-house-made caliber 4404 automated mechanical chronograph motion. It is vitally fairly in ornament and design, seen by a sapphire crystal caseback. The rear of the case is definitely largely black-colored titanium versus ceramic. The 4404 motion differs from the same 4401 motion (which is within the 43mm huge model of the Royal Oak Offshore) solely when it comes to the structure of the chronograph subdials. Each of the actions function at 4Hz with 70 hours of energy reserve. They point out the time, date, and have a 12-hour chronograph mechanism.
For many who are conversant in the Royal Oak Offshore’s historical past, this watch is a novel recreation of an current and standard design. Maybe for novices to the high-end watch world, Audemars Piguet can create a contemporary expertise as a watch fairly like this has by no means been obtainable. In any occasion, most watch lovers can agree that whereas there’s little solely new right here, Audemars Piguet continues to make a really good-looking and satisfying males’s sports activities watch design that solely matches inside a luxurious way of life rubric. That latter half is important for the Audemars Piguet model given their present gross sales and advertising and marketing technique. As I stated earlier than, you possibly can actually get a finely Swiss Made luxurious sports activities watch in ceramic on a black ceramic bracelet for much less cash (rather a lot much less cash). Although it maybe received’t be practically as refined or iconic (i.e. fascinating) as what the noble Audemars Piguet can provide. I’m personally excited to get this watch on my wrist and decide is Audemars Piguet has certainly made “all-black watches nice once more.” Value for the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Chronograph 42mm reference 26238CE.OO.13000CE.02 is $86,900 USD. Study extra on the Audemars Piguet web site.
