Pre-Owned Audemars Piguet by Analog Shift Royal Oak Offshore AS02864

Details

The case is in excellent condition overall, showing no signs of polish and only light signs of wear from age and use. Luminous blue dial is in near mint condition. Luminous handset is in similarly excellent condition. AP signed therban coated crown and pushers. Caseback shows very faint signs of wear.

Includes integrated stainless steel bracelet with AP signed deployant clasp. Also includes period box and extract.

Why We Love It

Royal Oak.

It was the design that made Gerald Genta's career and remains, without question, the most celebrated collection in Audemars Piguet's near 145 year long history.

Despite its early success in the 1970s and 80s, by the early 1990s sales of the port-hole inspired timepiece were on the decline. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of its release, and perhaps reinvigorate sales, AP turned to a young designer named Emmanuel Gueit.

To say that Gueit reinterpreted Genta's classic design would be an understatement. The resulting watch was bigger, heavier, and bolder than ever before. The blue micro-tapisserie dial is deeply set into a thick octagonal steel bezel, balanced by blue 'therban' pushers and crown. It was bigger than virtually anything else on the market in 1993 and inadvertently began a trend of massive timepieces which, to one extent or another, continues to this day.

The first 100 examples were made with the simple "Royal Oak" moniker engraved on the case back, with "Offshore" coming afterwards. This particular piece is an exceptionally early example, number 103, meaning it is quite literally the third watch ever to be christened "Offshore".   

From an historic perspective, this is the watch that brought Audemars Piguet, and one could argue the larger Swiss watch industry, into the modern age.

This early Royal Oak Offshore is an incredible collector grade piece from a critical moment in Audemars Piguet's story. Don't miss out!