However, given the fact that I am the proud owner of the Royal Oak
model that comes closest to the original of 1972, how does this
Offshore compare to its ancestor and is it actually a true alternative
for the ultimate cult chronograph, the Rolex Daytona ref.116520? A few weeks ago, I was able to review a Royal Oak Offshore Safari (26170ST.OO.D091CR.01) from Dutch watch dealer Watch-Site and I finally have some time to share my findings with you.
From the Offshore collection, the Safari always drew my attention, mainly because of the very nice creamy dial color. It reminds me a bit of the Rolex Explorer II Cream Dial ref. 16550 (mid-80s), a very sought-after Explorer II model. The Safari has this very cool brown alligator (hornback) strap with bone texture, making it look very euh… Safari. Just like every other Royal Oak, the Safari also has the 8 white gold screws in the bezel of the watch.
When the watch is being held in certain angles, the light will play
nicely with the satinized bezel and the high polished white gold screws. I catch myself doing this quite regularly
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The watch case is a lot bigger than the original Royal Oak model and not only that, but also a bit different in shape. Edges are not as sharp as on the original Royal Oak models, and most parts of the watch are a bit more round in general.
The Offshore models are famous for their rubber parts, like the thick
rubber gasket between the bezel and the watch case and the rubber
protectors for the crown and chronograph pushers.
Although not very visible in the picture above, the crown and pushers are not aligned.
However, the date window already should have told you that this
movement is not a dedicated chronograph movement but a regular movement
with an additional chronograph module (this method is called
piggybacking).
The base movement is an in-house movement, that has been used by Audemars Piguet since 2005. The regular Royal Oak Date Automatic (ref. 15300) has the same base movement (caliber 3120), amongst others .
The movement used in the Safari (and other Offshore Chronographs) is
referred to as caliber 3126/3840, with 59 jewels and a 55 hour power
reserve. A high number of jewels for a chronograph movement will tell you that it is a piggybacked movement most of the time. Nothing wrong with that of course, but the purists amongst us will prefer a dedicated chronograph movement instead.
Personally, I think you shouldn't expect to get a piggybacked
chronograph movement in a 16.000 Euro timepiece, although it would be
mainly because of the misalignment of the crown and pushers.
As you can see in the picture above, the (round) screws are going in
via the back of the watch and the white gold screw in the bezel is
actually a hex nut.
The case back of the AP ROO Safari actually says all that is necessary
on the back, except for its 100 meters of water resistance.
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The production number is a combination of a letter and a few digits and then again a few digits with No. in front of it. The letter (G in this case) should tell us something about the year, 2007 and the rest is abracadabra to me.
My own 15202 has an F-number, and dates back to 2006. If anyone can
explain me the logic behind these numbers, I would be very grateful.
With approximately 800 employees in Switzerland and 200 in foreign
countries, Audemars Piguet is able to manufacture between 25.000 and
30.000 watches per year. So, there has to be something going on with the combination of these two identifiers in the back of the case.
So, is it a good and modern alternative for the once highly sought after Rolex Daytona? Most Rolex fans will tell you that there is no substitute, and a lot of AP fans will probably tell you the same. Apples and oranges indeed.
Fact is though, that the AP ROO has become the watch of choice for
bankers, soccer players and movie stars, where there was once only one
ruler, the Rolex Daytona – preferably in stainless steel.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but movement wise, I think the
Rolex is more interesting with its in-house developed chronograph
caliber 4130. When it comes to the resell value, the Rolex Daytona is –
although the hype is over – still good to go quickly for cash that comes
close to retail.
A Royal Oak Offshore Safari Chronograph has a list price of 16.100
Euro, while you can get a BNIB model between 11.500 and 13.500 Euro. Used models, like the one reviewed, are approximately 10K Euro. One reason or another, you can bargain a lot on a new Audemars Piguet or get an occasion for almost 6K under list price. This could be seen as an advantage as well I guess, as long as you aren't the guy who bought one for list price.
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The 44mm x 14.75mm dimensions might not look good on everyone's wrists,
but I surely found the watch to be comfortable yet very 'present'.
I do think that it is at least the nicest Offshore model available
right now, with its brown alligator hornback strap, stainless steel
bezel (instead of rubber) and easy-on-the-eyes dial.
Thanks for reading and let me know what you think of this timepiece by leaving a comment below. Thanks to Watch-Site for lending me the watch.
vedere di piu rolex repliche e Breitling Bentley
