1. Dirk Wettengel, a German retailer, seeded the concept of the Royal Oak Offshore. He wanted Audemars Piguet to make a younger, trendier version of the 1970s-designed Royal Oak for offshore yacht racing.
2. The link between the Royal Oak Offshore watches and offshore powerboat racing was only rediscovered in 2022. While pouring through historical records, the Heritage and Archive team found a legal document registering the name “Offshore” to the brand. That was dated years before the watch was launched.
Photo: Audemars Piguet.
3. Gerald Genta did not design the Royal Oak Offshore. It was created by Emmanuel Gueit, a junior designer who was only 22. The watch was intended exclusively for men, which explains its imposing (for that time) 42-mm case size. Genta hated the Royal Oak Offshore, referring to it as an “elephant in the sea” when he saw it.
4. Gueit’s original design featured a compass on the dial as a nod to yacht racing. It was eventually replaced with a sportier chronograph function because of a suggestion made by a supplier.
5. The management and internal stakeholders took years to approve the watch. Although the first sketches were presented in 1989, it wasn’t launched until 1993. In one of many discouraging meetings on the Royal Oak Offshore, a frustrated Guiet even threw a Rolex Sea-Dweller on the table and exclaimed, “If they can sell a watch of this size, so can we!” Unfortunately, despite his perseverance and conviction, the Royal Oak Offshore wasn’t an overnight commercial success.
Photo: Audemars Piguet.
6. The first 100 Royal Oak Offshore ref 25721 models were released without the “Offshore” logo inscribed on the caseback, since the watch was launched with some trepidation.
7. Size, complications or materials do not distinguish a Royal Oak from a Royal Oak Offshore. The key difference lies in the bracelet: Royal Oak Offshore bracelets have curved satin-brushed links instead of the sharp and angular links characteristic of the Royal Oak.
8. The 2000s was the decade of the Royal Oak Offshore. In 2010, Audemars Piguet sold about 14,000 Royal Oak Offshores, almost double the number of Royal Oaks sold.
9. The Royal Oak Offshore was a test bed for new materials, including forged carbon, cermet, titanium, and tantalum. In 2001, the model 25940SK featured a rubber-clad bezel over a gold case, an unusual design that enhanced its bold aesthetic. In terms of what watchmaking would look like in the future, it was the poster child.
10. The Royal Oak Offshore launched Audemars Piguet’s high-profile celebrity endorsements, beginning with Arnold Schwarzenegger, who was already a customer. The Royal Oak Offshore End of Days (1999) commemorated the release of the film of the same name and was the first of many partnerships with the actor. Featuring a blackened steel case and a Kevlar strap, it was sold to benefit his foundation for underprivileged children. In 2005, Audemars Piguet partnered with Jay-Z to celebrate the 10th anniversary of his career. It was the first time a hip-hop artist and a luxury watchmaker collaborated. Many special editions were made with other famous names, such as LeBron James, Shaquille O’Neal, Lionel Messi, and Michael Schumacher.
