Collaborations and best replica watches inspired by pop and street culture are, without a doubt, an important part of Audemars Piguet‘s recent history. No other brand on the haute horlogerie scene has fostered such creative synergies with different universes. Sport, pop culture, art, fashion and entertainment… It looks at things from a different perspective, like it or not. This year, Audemars Piguet unveils a new Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Openworked limited edition in collaboration with brand and label Cactus Jack, founded by American hip-hop artist Travis Scott. And yes, it is indeed “The Chocolate AP,” as Travis Scott likes to call it in his latest album. Yet another polarizing collaboration with a slightly controversial artist, but one that truly looks spectacular.
AP x Collabs
As most of you might know, this new model isn’t the first time the Swiss watchmaker ventured into the world of music and sport, and specifically hip-hop and basketball culture. Far from that! As primed examples, we can name, among others, collaborations with Jay-Z (2005) and LeBron James (2013). The brand has made a name for itself in this domain since the early 2000s, to the point that AP has since become one of the most quoted brands in rap songs. It might not be something that talks to the entire spectrum of the collecting community and to a wide audience of UK luxury fake watches enthusiasts, but it has certainly brought the brand under the spotlight, making it visible to many more people than just watch lovers. A successful strategy…? Looking at sales figures of the brand in recent years, you could say so. A long-term achievement? Time will tell.
What we have to consider right now is the brand’s latest collaboration, cheap replica watches made together with one of the most successful rap artists in recent years, Travis Scott and his label Cactus Jack. It isn’t the first time the man has teamed up with other brands to create unique, collectable objects – check this for an overview of his most famed collabs, including multiple takes on the emblematic Air Jordan sneakers or the official Cactus Jack x Dior capsule.
The Chocolate AP by Travis Scott
For this new collaborative project, the top 2024 copy watches of choice isn’t just a standard Royal Oak (if a Royal Oak could be called this…) It’s actually based on one of the most desirable, bold and intricately finished editions of the RO, the Perpetual Calendar Openworked Black Ceramic. But what Travis Scott and his label Cactus Jack have done goes way beyond just a few details on the dial, a new strap and an engraving on the caseback. The Travis Scott x Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Openworked Cactus Jack Limited Edition 26585CM (a mouthful name, admittedly) brings an unprecedented colour for the ceramic case, a dial full of details and unique features and, overall, a surprisingly consistent design. I would not have expected this, but the result, if bold and polarizing, is rather amazing.
The AP x Travis Scott Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Openworked is first and foremost an impressively technical and high-end 1:1 replica watches. Despite the modernity of the design and colour scheme, it remains a watch from true haute horlogerie level. It’s not just a stamped logo on a base model. Visually speaking, we’re on familiar grounds, with the classic look of the RO Perpetual. Here, Audemars Piguet presents its first Royal Oak model in brown ceramic, which is the signature colour of Cactus Jack (which is the central theme of his Nike Air Jordan 1 Retro High OG SP or the Dior capsule collection).
Used for the case, bezel, crown and caseback, ceramic (or Zirconium Oxide powder Zr2O, if you want to be precise) has long been used by AP for the Royal Oak Perpetual, which we’ve seen already in black, white or even blue with closed dials. As for the Openworked version, black was the only option so far. Travis Scott decided to bring his favourite colour, with a chocolate brown tone from head to toe… And as always with ceramic, achieving uniform colour is a delicate and crucial stage, before the components are finished by hand to reach the same level of precision as what is found on a metal version. The case retains all the classic features and finishes of a steel or gold RO, with the octagonal bezel and case alternating satin-brushed surfaces and polished chamfers.
The case of this AP x Travis Scott Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar, apart from the unprecedented brown ceramic, is identical to all previous editions, with a 41mm diameter and relatively thin 9.9mm thickness. The bezel retains the traditional hexagonal white gold screws as well as the flat sapphire crystal protecting the dial, here revealing the beauty of the in-house skeletonized movement. Despite the screw-lock crown and screwed back, which features a sapphire window, the AAA Swiss fake Audemars Piguet watches is only water-resistant to 20m, a common feature of all ceramic QPs. On the wrist, it’s a relatively lightweight watch – the combination of a strap and the ceramic makes it highly pleasant on the wrist – and one that is, from a certain distance, not too striking visually. The chocolate brown colour is more subtle than one could imagine. It blends well with all the other elements of the watch, including the specific strap and the discreet gold accents.
We continue on the dial where this Travis Scott x Audemars Piguet Chocolate Brown Royal Oak brings a ton of unique details… While the layout and the indications are classics for the Swiss movements replica Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Openworked watches, the Cactus Jack limited edition changes almost all design details. The sapphire dial reveals most of the delicately finished movement, which is here rhodium-plated with discreet pink-gold-toned hues. The mesmerizing intertwining of gears, springs and levels is barely hidden under the transparent indications, which comprises, as always, the week numbers on the inner flange, hours and minutes in the centre and a perpetual calendar with date, day of the week, month, leap year and double-moon.
The evolution compared to classic Audemars Piguet RO Perpetual Calendar Openworked super clone watches for sale are countless. First, the thin circle surrounding the day, month and date subdials respectively located at 9, 12 and 3 o’clock have been treated in a rose gold colour, pairing nicely with the brown tone of the case. The hour, minute and counters hands, like the hour markers inserted within the seconds scale, are crafted in gold and covered with brown PVD before being filled with a white luminescent material that turns blue in the dark. Finally, multiple elements on the dial refer to the visual identity of Travis Scott’s brand, Cactus Jack.
First, AP’s team has specially designed the typography of the calendar indications based on Travis Scott’s hand-drawn model, which can be found on the week indication too, on the inner flange. The hand of the day subdial takes on the shape of the brand’s logo. And the most distinctive element of the dial is, without a doubt, the design of the moon phase at 6 o’clock. The traditional photorealistic representation of Earth’s natural satellite has been replaced by Cactus Jack’s emblematic smiley face with its mouth sewn shut on a blue aventurine base, with the face’s luminescent coating glowing blue in the dark. All other calendar indications, with the exception of the week indication, are endowed with a luminescent material that turns green at night for a striking luminous effect.
The Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Openworked “Cactus Jack” Limited Edition is powered by the selfwinding Calibre 5135, a movement that we’ve seen already in the classic black ceramic Openworked edition. Based on the calibre 2121, the ultra-thin movement that is found in the Royal Oak Ultra-Thin Jumbo 15202 and easily recognizable with its oscillating weight with an annular ring running on four jewels, it adds a perpetual calendar function on top, with most of the mechanics exposed. As you’d expect, assuming the perfect replica watches is kept fully wound, the date will not require manual correction until 2100.
All parts, front and back, are finished to an impressive level, with circular brushing, satin brushing, sandblasting, sunray brushing and polished chamfers, among other decorations. The bridges, the cock, the main plate, the barrel drum and the ratchet wheel have all been hollowed and decorated with superb attention to detail, including a multitude of internal angles. Specific to this Travis Scott/Cactus Jack edition, the openworked 22k pink gold oscillating weight is finished with satin brushing and polished chamfers. It is also engraved with the double “Audemars Piguet” and “Cactus Jack” signatures. The Cactus Jack logo appears in the centre of the oscillating weight. The caseback is engraved with “Utopia is a state of mind” in reference to Travis Scott’s latest album.
Also a specificity of this Travis Scott x Audemars Piguet fake watches for men, the traditional RO bracelet in ceramic has been replaced by a new textured calfskin leather strap, adding to the distinctive look of this collab. It is closed by a pink gold folding clasp engraved with both the signatures of AP and Travis Scott. One of the mobile loops of the strap also shows the “Utopia is a state of mind” reference.
Thought, availability & price
This new Travis Scott x Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Openworked Cactus Jack Limited Edition will surely create strong reactions. As with previous collaborations, it ventures into different universes, far from the classic codes of haute horlogerie. There’s no doubt that both the personality of Travis Scott and the overall partnership are polarizing, even maybe a bit controversial. That being said, if we look at this best quality replica watches solely through the lens of watchmaking, it is certainly a highly impressive model, with a design that is coherent, original and distinctive yet desirable. It’s actually relatively discreet for such a theme and the whole timepiece is, without a doubt, of a very high level. Whether you like the background story or not is up to you.
A limited edition of 200 pieces, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Openworked Cactus Jack Limited Edition Brown Ceramic (reference 26585CM.OO.D301VE.01) will be priced at CHF 178,000 excluding taxes.
The Swiss Haute Horlogerie manufacturer Audemars Piguet expands the UK top replica Audemars Piguet Royal Oak “Jumbo” Extra-Thin Openworked line watches (ref. 16204) with a new model in 18-carat yellow gold.
The bright case offers a graceful frame to the state-of-the-art movement, Calibre 7124, ticking within. Its fine openworked architecture, whose yellow-gold-toned hue matches that of the case and bracelet, takes centre stage on both sides of the perfect Swiss fake watches. Enhanced with subtle touches of white gold, this emblematic 39 emm timepiece provides elegant contrasts.
A refined, dazzling look
The high quality replica Audemars Piguet Royal Oak “Jumbo” Extra-Thin Openworked watches launched in 2022 on the occasion of the Royal Oak’s 50th anniversary takes a fresh look this year with its elegant body of 18-carat yellow gold. Keeping with tradition, the 8.1mm-thick timepiece has retained the aesthetic codes of the original model from 1972. Its gold tapering bracelet and 39 mm case are finished with the Manufacture’s graceful alternation of satin brushing and polished chamfers for an infinite play on the light.
The inner bezel and the movement’s openworked bridges are adorned with a yellow-gold-toned hue matching with the case and bracelet. The dial is enriched with discreet polished white gold hour-markers and hands that recall the white gold hexagonal screws securing the bezel onto the case as well as the gear train seen through the movement’s openworked bridges. The movement’s jewels visible on the dial side add a touch of colour.
Lastly, the Audemars Piguet long-form signature has been printed in black on the sapphire crystal.
A cutting-edge openworked movement
The selfwinding extra-thin Calibre 7124 brings together precision, performance and age-old openworking expertise. This openworked hour and minute movement measuring a mere 2.7 mm in thickness has been specifically conceived and produced by Audemars Piguet engineers and watchmakers, in parallel of Calibre 7121, to fit in the extra-thin 8.1 mm “Jumbo” case without altering its aesthetic and thickness. It beats at a frequency of 4 Hz and has 57 hours of autonomy when not on the wrist. Its large barrel ensures accuracy for a longer period of time. In addition, it is equipped with a slim openworked oscillating weight in yellow-gold plated 22-carat pink gold, mounted on ball bearings that utilises two reversers developed in-house to ensure bidirectional winding. Lastly, inertia blocks have been inserted within the balance wheel to avoid unnecessary friction and enhance performance.
The openworked architecture of Calibre 7124 is highlighted on the dial and caseback sides. Its fine design was achieved by using advanced technology in conjunction with artisans’ manual dexterity and acute attention to detail. The position and geometries of each component were carefully thought of from the get-go to reach a harmonious and well-balanced openworked aesthetic. The preliminary geometries of the mainplate and bridges were cut through computer numerical control (CNC) machining before they were meticulously touched up to reach the desired shape. The different components were then finished with Haute Horlogerie decorations such as traits tirés, snailing and polished chamfers. The movement’s 247 polished V-shaped angles reflect the rigorous savoir-faire of the Manufacture’s artisans.
The “Jumbo” and the art of openworking
Evolving with each decade, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak collection copy watches wholesale has included more than 50 openworked models to date, fitted with different movements and coming in a variety of sizes, materials and styles – the result of numerous decades of passion and expertise passed down across generations.
While openworking made its debut in the Royal Oak collection in 1981 with a pendant version (Model 5710BA), it truly became part of the collection in the 1990s – a decade that witnessed a wide choice of openworked Audemars Piguet Royal Oak replica watches for men.
The first openworked “Jumbo” was launched in 1992. This one-of-a-kind model (14811), whose dial was decorated with a finely chased oak motif, was auctioned off to support the new Audemars Piguet Foundation. Several openworked “Jumbo” models equipped with the extra-thin Calibre 2120 were introduced in very small series until the year 2000. While some cheap fake watches were graced with gemset hands (e.g. 14789, 14793 and 14814), others featured highly stylised designs, such as Models 14884 and 12518 (a unique 125th anniversary creation) which included a naval anchor against a background of stormy waves surrounded by ropes.
Openworking returned in the “Jumbo” collection in 2010 with a stainless steel model (15305), this time equipped with selfwinding Calibre 3129 measuring 4.31 mm in thickness. Two years later, the Manufacture launched a new slate grey openworked “Jumbo” limited edition for the Royal Oak’s 40th anniversary, powered by the new Calibre 5122 which was framed in a 950 platinum case. An 18-carat pink gold version was released in 2014.
The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak “Jumbo” Extra-Thin Openworked super clone watches shop made its come back in 2022 for the collection’s 50th anniversary. For the occasion, the Manufacture launched two models offered in a choice of stainless steel and 18-carat pink gold, both equipped with the Manufacture’s brand-new selfwinding openworked movement, the Calibre 7124. The yellow gold replica watches released this year follows in their footsteps with its refined golden aesthetic merging ancestral know-how and cutting-edge techniques.
The cheap replica Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore limited edition watches dedicated to the world of Formula 1 are one of the most interesting chapters in the history of the Offshore collection, which turns 30 this year. The release of such Offshores did not last long, from 2004 to 2012. Many of us were there, but for many everything was somehow forgotten and it is worth refreshing memories.
Looking at the past is useful, not only to remember something you forgot or to find out what you missed but also to take a look at the past and re-evaluate what you once might have underestimated in the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
These thoughts came to mind as I gathered information for the planned publication cycle on Offshore’s history. I have sometimes been annoyed by the seemingly endless series of limited editions devoted to this and that. And not just me, I remember the opinion a certain collector once expressed on the subject: The Montoya or the second Barrichello are excellent high quality fake watches, but what was produced after that is not worth taking seriously.
Now the subject is closed: Offshores dedicated to Formula 1 have not been produced since 2013, and so this whole story takes on a clearly defined collector’s aura. However. it’s worth taking a closer look at FI racing Offshores – what a theme to collect! And look at the names: Michael Schumacher, Rubens Barrichello, Juan Pablo Montoya, Jarno Trulli, and Sebastien Buemi. A fairy tale.
2004, starring: Juan Pablo Montoya, the watch: Royal Oak Offshore ‘Juan Pablo Montoya’ Chronograph Ref. 26030PO.OO.D021IN.01, platinum, 44 mm, limited edition of 100 pieces.
Racing Offshores began in 2004 with a watch dedicated to Juan Pablo Montoya, not ‘Barrichello’ ROO, as is often reported. In 2004 Montoya was the talk of F1, the enfant terrible and a threat to the champions. The results of the 2002 and 2003 F1 seasons gave every reason to see him as the new superstar. Therefore, the choice of driver to participate in the launch of the first ROO F1 was impeccable and the result is impressive.
The rest i.e., the design, was the responsibility of Octavio Garcia, who was Audemars Piguet’s art director from 2002 to 2015 and who created the design of all the best UK replica watches in this report.
Octavio Garcia cannot be called a follower of laconic design. On the contrary, he seems to be a great master of numerous delicious details, with which he endowed the Swiss movements copy watches he drew so abundantly that sometimes it seemed too much. The ‘Montoya’ is both a first foray into the ROO F1 genre and an example of his style.
The first thing that caught my eye is that he changed the design of the Royal Oak’s signature octagonal bezel, which was a venerable relic for Audemars Piguet at the time. For the ROO ‘Montoya’ watch, Octavio Garcia replaced the RO standard white gold hexagonal screws with racecar-inspired titanium hollow-head screws, added side grooves for them in the bezel, and decorated the bezel with a carbon fiber insert.
In addition, Octavio Garcia enlarged the already visually massive Offshore case by adding angular guards for the chronograph pushers and crown (some call them “square-jawed”). The protectors were attached to the case with four screws, also with automotive hollow hex heads.
Incidentally, for the first time, the owner of the Offshore had the opportunity to look at his watch from the side, because this angle, which is rarely used to its full extent in watch design, is interesting and full of unusual details that please the eye of connoisseurs of watchmaking. For example, the chronograph pushers of the ‘Montoya’ are decorated with a deeply embossed stripe motif, another automotive detail that can either remind us of the gas pedal or the air intake grilles.
The shape of the ‘Montoya’ crown is also a far cry from the classic hexagonal Royal Oak shape – Octavio Garcia has extended it beyond measure and shaped it to resemble the centerlock wheel nut of a Formula 1 racing car.
The hands also deserve special attention. The hour and minute hands have generally retained the original baguette shape that Gerald Genta preferred. However, Octavio Garcia decided to make the hands wide, skeletonized, and even latticed on some models, which is quite in line with the aggressive, sporty style of the 1:1 replica watches. The embossed tapisserie motif that usually adorns the dials of RO and ROO was not left untouched. On the ‘Montoya’, the central part of the dial was decorated with a relief image of a checkered racing flag – a kind of wavy tapisserie pattern. It looked like the Windows logo. For this reason or another, Audemars Piguet later refused to use such a dial decoration.
In this context, it is worth noting that Octavio Garcia’s ingenuity is combined with incredible flexibility in design. With all the numerous Offshores he has designed, it seems that he has easily discarded some choices in favor of others; in the next iteration, he returns to the previous versions, without getting stuck on the only idea that once attracted him.
In China AAA fake Audemars Piguet watches, the movement is of no small importance. In all Offshores before the ‘Montoya’, it was actually ignored – simply because the ROO always had a solid caseback. It was not until 2004, in the eleventh year of the collection, that it was decided to add a sapphire window to the caseback of the ROO ‘Montoya’. Octavio Garcia, the master of details, designed a self-winding rotor for the caliber with five openings especially for this watch.
At that time, the Offshores did not use in-house movements – instead, the basic automatic caliber 2226 from Jaeger-LeCoultre and the Dubois Dépraz 2480 chronograph module were supplied. With the ROO ‘Montoya’, for the first time the watch owner has the opportunity to view the caliber.
Meanwhile, it is common to equip a mechanical watch with a sapphire crystal caseback, which is certainly justified if the movement is really good, and the Offshore’s caliber is very good. Finally, you should also consider the ‘Montoya’ strap. During his career at Audemars Piguet, Octavio Garcia had a lot of experience in inventing different racing straps. In particular, the ‘Montoya’ strap is decorated with meshes in a contrasting (titanium model) or non-contrasting (gold and platinum models) color – this design could have been called “tapisserie” at Audemars Piguet, but it wasn’t.
All three versions of the online replica Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore ‘Juan Pablo Montoya’ watches were enthusiastically received by the public, so the next ROO F1 was not long in coming: in 2005, the first watch dedicated to Rubens Barrichello appeared. With the ROO ‘Barrichello’, Octavio Garcia brings the classic ROO case to the ROO F1 line, drawing all the attention to the dial. This tactic continued when, after the avant-garde futuristic Grand Prix style models, as we will see later, there are alternating models with the original ROO case design from 1993.
Apart from the ‘traditional’ 1993 case, the ROO ‘Barrichello’ super clone watches for sale is most interesting for its dial. It is quite crowded. The colors of the Brazilian flag (Barrichello is Brazilian) are reflected in the design of the small seconds dial, the 12-hour counter is decorated with the blue and red logo of the racer, but the most striking feature of the watch is the minute scale on a chapter ring with large 5-minute numerals replacing the hour markers.
Please note that Audemars Piguet adopted this design eleven years before the release of the Rolex Air-King 116900, which is known for its mixed large hour and minute numerals. A matte black bezel with rubber coating, similar to the Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph ‘Rubber Clad’ models, gives the ROO ‘Barrichello’ watch more contrast and accentuates the dial. Audemars Piguet later abandoned the rubber coating on the bezel.
The following year, 2006, Audemars Piguet’s collaboration with Rubens Barrichello continued. The brand’s management and Octavio Garcia decided to return to the experimental futuristic design of the ROO ‘Montoya’ and continue in this direction, complementing the Offshores of the standard original design, which Audemars Piguet replica watches for men had not abandoned, with models in the hi-tech futuristic racing style. Royal Oak Offshore ‘Rubens Barrichello II’ was the name of the new watch, which had little in common with the first version of the ROO ‘Barrichello’. ROO ‘Barrichello II’ was presented to the public not at the SIHH Geneva watch show in January, as was customary, but on August 23, 2006, at the Turkish Grand Prix in Istanbul where, incidentally, Barrichello finished unsuccessfully in 14th place.
From a technical point of view, the biggest highlight of the Royal Oak Offshore ‘Rubens Barrichello II’ was the introduction of zirconium ceramic – a material that is futuristic, high-tech, durable, and above all, scratch-resistant. In this watch, the bezel, chronograph buttons and crown insert were made of ceramic, giving the watch an even more pronounced technical character.
In addition, a new type of dial was invented especially for this watch, called ‘Racing’ – Méga Tapisserie Racing. What made it special was that instead of the méga tapisserie relief pyramids that are standard at ROO, a lattice openworked structure was used. Therefore, on a ROO watch, there was the rare opportunity to see the underlying chronograph module through the dial, albeit only partially.
The broad hour and minute hands were also skeletonized, similar to the ROO ‘Montoya’ watch. The result was impressive, as the structure of the dial turned out to be complicated and three-dimensionally multi-layered – from the chronograph module to the obligatory inclined outer dial ring with a tachymeter scale.
In 2008, the ROO F1 line was expanded with a third and unfortunately last version of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore fake watches online, dedicated to Rubens Barrichello. The ROO ‘Barrichello III’ was presented to the public in May 2008 and again at the Turkish Grand Prix. This time there was a good reason for the choice of venue: by taking part in the Istanbul race, Rubens Barrichello broke the record held since 1993 by Italian Formula One driver Riccardo Patrese, who competed in 256 races during his career from 1977 to 1993. The Turkish Grand Prix was Barrichello’s 257 start, so the watch was produced in a limited edition of exactly 257 pieces. For this reason, it was sometimes called the Royal Oak Offshore ‘257’.
The Royal Oak Offshore ‘257’is essentially a revised version of the ROO ‘Barrichello II’ in rose gold. While the crown, chronograph pusher guards and strap attachments of the “Barrichello II” watch are made of rose gold, they are made of titanium on the ‘Barrichello III’. The chapter ring has changed its color from silver to red and the black alligator leather strap is stitched with a red thread to match the dial color.
The story of Offshore racing replica watches site continued in 2008, when the brand introduced the Royal Oak Offshore ‘Singapore Grand Prix’ Chronograph, released in honor of the very first Formula 1 night race in Singapore. This is the first watch from the Offshore racing series equipped with a movement based on the automatic manufacture caliber 3126.
Unfortunately, it is not possible to check it with your own eyes, as the caseback is solid. There is no dedication to Singapore on the dial, which is correct, as the caseback is more suitable for this purpose. The dedication takes the form of a commemorative caseback with the image of a race car in relief, followed by the inscriptions “Royal Oak Offshore Limited Edition” and “Singapore GP 2008” required for the occasion.
The ROO ‘Singapore Grand Prix’ is an excellent example of a special edition that achieves maximum results with minimal means. Minimal in the sense that the design is based on the original 1993 version of the Royal Oak Offshore, as was the case with the ‘Barrichello I’ watch. The night racing theme was expressed through the aggressive red and black color scheme of the watch: with the forged carbon case ring, the outer ring of the dial with the tachymeter scale, the chronograph counters and the perforated racing leather strap in black; and with the signature méga tapisserie dial, crown, pushers, strap lining and double stitching in red.
The general theme of the F1 World Championship in the ROO collection does not stop with ROO, created in honor of the Formula 1 race in Singapore. The year 2010, which traditionally began for the brand in January at the SIHH in Geneva, was marked by the launch of the new line of fake watches shop with futuristic racing design, which includes three new Royal Oak Offshore ‘Grand Prix’ models. They are not the first futuristically designed watch in the Formula 1-inspired line, and it is easy to find in it many features of the previous ROO F1 models.
The question of which watch was chosen as a prototype in the development of the ROO ‘Grand Prix’ does not arise. Obviously, it is ROO ‘Barrichello II’. I will refrain from a boring enumeration of the relevant features, preferring to draw attention to the differences. There are many, and they are obvious. Let’s start with the dial. For the ‘Barrichello II’, an openworked version of the méga tapisserie motif was developed, while the ROO ‘Grand Prix’ uses a unique inverted relief that will probably remain the only one of its kind, as Audemars Piguet has abandoned the inverted relief in favor of the classic ‘positive’ méga tapisserie relief.
The Royal Oak Offshore ‘Grand Prix’ has an extremely unusual bezel – nothing like it was made by Audemars Piguet before or since. First, it consisted of an upper part made of carbon and a lower part made of ceramic. Second, the bezel featured lateral channels that look like the ventilation ducts of a formula car – this technical association may have later given rise to the idea for the acoustic ducts on the back of the Royal Oak Concept Supersonnerie Repeater case, which ensure that sound vibrations are effectively diverted away from the watch case to the outside.
The carbon/ceramic bezel is found on all three ‘Grand Prix’ models – made of forged carbon (Ref. 26290IO.OO.A001VE.01, limited edition of 1750 pieces), rose gold (Ref. 26290RO.OO.A001VE.01, 650 pieces) and platinum (Ref. 26290PO.OO.A001VE.01, 75 pieces). The carbon parts (I prefer to call this material a carbon fiber composite), made with the precision forging technique developed by Audemars Piguet, give the ROO ‘Grand Prix’ an appropriate high-tech character. As a bonus, the owner of the watch receives a unique image formed by the carbon fibers on the surfaces of the case, a kind of fingerprint. This image can even be used to identify the watch if necessary.
The protective parts (“square jaw”) for the crown and chronograph pushers of the gold and platinum ROO ‘Grand Prix’ models are also made of carbon, while the pusher guards of the carbon model are made of titanium. The unprecedented ‘wing’ on the left side of the case is also made of carbon. It looks like a counterpart to the protective parts of the crown and chronograph pushers. The triangular cutout in the lower left corner of the case seems to be a complete mystery – it has no visible reason and contradicts the symmetry of the design. This feature and the side ‘wing’ of the case, have never been seen on any other Offshore.
To sum up the review of the Royal Oak Offshore ‘Grand Prix’, the richness of detail, ingenuity and thoughtful finish of this watch stand out even from the diverse racing series of the ROO collection and once again make me admire the talent of Octavio Garcia, the father of modern Offshores and a true master of delicious details.
The carbon fiber composite, extensively used in the Royal Oak Offshore ‘Grand Prix’ replica watches store, appeared again in 2010 in an Offshore developed from the original design from 1993 – the Royal Oak Offshore ‘Jarno Trulli’ Chronograph. Unveiled in October at the Japanese Grand Prix, it was the result of a collaboration between Audemars Piguet and Italian Formula One racing driver Jarno Trulli. This driver is clearly not one of the title winners.
He became famous, if only for a resounding victory in the 2004 Monaco Grand Prix, the same race in which Jaguar team driver Christian Klein crashed his race car into the guardrails of a corner and the diamond on the nose of his car, set as an advertisement for the movie “Ocean’s Twelve,” mysteriously disappeared without a trace.
Everything about the ROO ‘Trulli’ was ostentatiously high-tech: a case ring made of carbon fiber composite, a caseback, chronograph pushers and a crown made of titanium, a bezel made of cermet. This material, which appeared for the first time in the ROO collection, was chosen as an alternative to the zirconia ceramic normally used in Swiss made fake watches. Cermet is just as scratch resistant as zirconia ceramic, maybe a little less, and it resembles a very dark and durable metal.
This is the reason why the bezel made of cermet was tested on the ROO ‘Trulli’. Today, this experience must be considered unsuccessful, because apart from this watch and some subsequent ones, the cermet has disappeared from the collection – like the diamond of the Christian Klein racing car.
The dark grey dial of the Royal Oak Offshore Jarno Trulli with silver counters features red accents – hour markers, hour, minute and central seconds hands that distinguish the ROO ‘Trulli’ from all other Offshore racing replica watches paypal at first glance.
The culmination of the Formula 1 theme in the Royal Oak Offshore collection took place at the end of November 2010, when Philippe Merck, then CEO of Audemars Piguet, announced the start of a collaboration with the great Michael Schumacher at a press conference in Duesseldorf. The watch world received the news with great interest, but the ‘Schumacher watches’ or ‘Schumi’ as collectors usually call them did not appear immediately – only two years later, in October 2012. Already traditionally, the release consisted of three models – high-tech (here – titanium, 1000 pieces), traditionalist (rose gold, 500 pieces) and luxury (platinum, 100 pieces).
The prototype of all three ‘Schumi’ is obvious – again it is the excellent and unforgettable ‘Barrichello II’ – in the ROO collection Rubens Barrichello was the first on the imaginary track, unlike most of the competitions of Ferrari teammates on real race tracks. The ROO ‘Schumi’ bezel is scratch-resistant and made of cermet. All models have titanium protective parts for the crown and chronograph pushers a la ROO ‘Grand Prix’. The crown was replicated from the same watch.
To honor a new brand ambassador, a special dial design was made for ROO ‘Schumi’. The seven stars at the top of the tachymeter scale represent the driver’s victories: two blue stars for two world championship titles with Benetton and five red stars for five titles with Ferrari. The peripheral scale is designed in racing style with a checkered 1/5-second track. The hour and minute hands of a new faceted shape was developed for this edition. The red color of the chronograph hands was complemented by the red color of the date display numerals, which are on a black background – note that the date ring background is usually white on Offshores.
The collaboration with Michael Schumacher was supposed to continue, but the tragic accident of the great racer on the ski slope made it almost impossible. However, Audemars Piguet felt it necessary to continue the development of a special chronograph wristwatch, the complication of which was suggested by Michael Schumacher himself – this task was completed in 2015 with the release of the Royal Oak Concept Laptimer Michael Schumacher Flyback Chronograph watch. However, this watch was released in the Royal Oak Concept collection, which is why I only mention it here.
Also in 2012, another Audemars Piguet ROO fake watches online store was unveiled, made in collaboration with a Formula 1 racing driver. We are talking about the Swiss Sébastien Buemi, who has been an ambassador for the brand since 2009, and the Royal Oak Offshore ‘Sébastien Buemi’, which was released in his honor. As has often been the case, a racing ROO with a futuristic design was often followed by a racing ROO with an original design from 1993, of course in a special version.
So, it was also in this case. For the ROO ‘Buemi’ was made in original ROO design, a polished titanium case, a ceramic bezel and a calm dark grey dial with yellow markings on the second scale were chosen – yellow was the main color in the coloring of Buemi’s racing helmet. Sébastien Buemi’s career in Formula 1 ended in 2012, and in the same year Audemars Piguet was headed by François-Henri Bennahmias, who stopped producing racing Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore replica watches wholesale; thus ROO ‘Buemi’ was the last watch in this line. Apparently, Bennahmias simply allowed what was started under Philipp Merck, the former CEO, to be finished. In 2015, Octavio Garcia, the art director and designer of all the Offshores described here, left Audemars Piguet. The limited-edition racing Offshores has finally and irrevocably become a classic collectible.
