replica Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore

 

 

A Closer Look at the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph 42mm Ref. 26480TI

 

Thin and Light, Maybe Not Too Common. luxury replica watches

The original Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph, introduced in 1993 as reference 25721 and designed by Emmanuel Gueit and made famous by Italian Olympic ski champion Alberto Tomba, was 42mm in diameter, a huge watch for its time. It has since been revamped several times, most recently in 2017, and joined by several larger versions.

The latest Offshore Chronograph ref. 26480TI was unveiled at the 2019 SIHH in relatively low-key fashion, but its design goes against the grain. It’s still 42mm, but thinner thanks to the Frederic Piguet movement, while the titanium case makes it lighter. All in all, these factors make the new Offshore the most wearable watch in the collection. replica Jacob and Co. watches

The case is made of titanium but is large enough so that it doesn’t appear too light. It measures just 12.8mm in height, compared to the standard Offshore’s 42mm height of 14.4mm.

This is a substantial difference that noticeably changes the proportions of the watch, making it look sleeker on the wrist. That being said, the case still has a large, flat caseback, so it won’t fit smaller wrists as well.

The Movement
The credit for such a slim case goes to the Caliber 2385 inside, which is actually a reworked version of the Frederic Piguet Caliber 1185. Despite being first introduced in 1988, this movement remains one of the most compact and refined automatic chronograph movements on the market, measuring just 26.2mm in diameter and 5.4mm thick. While the Caliber 1185 is revered for its refinement and size, it does have one drawback, which is its short power reserve of just 40 hours. replica Grand Seiko Heritage watches

The calibre 1185 features a column wheel and vertical clutch, features common in modern mid- to high-end chronograph movements, and is an upgrade from the cal. 3126/3840 found in the standard Offshore. It is a modular movement, with the in-house cal. 3126 automatic movement having a chronograph mechanism added to the top, below the dial.

The calibre 1185 was once widely used by high-end brands such as Vacheron Constantin, but since Frederic Piguet was merged into Blancpain, its movements have mostly appeared in watches produced by Swatch Group brands such as Blancpain and Breguet.

The calibre 1185 is still widely used by Audemars Piguet, but primarily in the Royal Oak Chronograph; the ref. 26480TI is the first Offshore men replica watches to feature this movement. In the long term, the Offshore Chronograph will most likely be equipped with the in-house 4401 movement now found in the Code 11.59, so it is unlikely that the ref. 26480TI will remain in the catalog for long.

While the movement is small relative to the case, it actually works well with the proportions of the watch, as the dials of the Offshore Chronograph have always been small and the bezels wide. As a result, all the chronograph counters are located between the center and the edge of the dial, avoiding the cross-eyed clustering that is often seen on large chronographs driven by small movements.

Finishing
Typical for the Royal Oak, the case finishing is extremely refined. While the case is made of titanium, which usually has a dull appearance, this case has been given a shiny finish similar to that of steel.

All flat surfaces have a gorgeous brushed finish, while the edges have a mirror-polished bevel. The borders between the contrasting finishes are very sharp. replica Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore

(Over) Design
Like the case, the dial also has a high level of fit and finish.

The design is typical of the Royal Oak, with sensible color coding for the subdials – grey for the constant seconds hand, and grey with a white border for the chronograph hands.

That said, the styling feels a little over-engineered, with little embellishments everywhere. The hour and minute hands are elongated, skeletonized versions of the standard Offshore hands, while the indices are flared at the base.

There are also crosshairs on the constant seconds counter, while the case back is engraved with a pattern reminiscent of a football.

It’s not unattractive, but it feels unnecessary.

Despite the over-the-top dial design, the Offshore Chronograph ref. 26480TI is one of the most attractive watches in the collection. Its size and weight also make it feel good on the wrist.

From a broader perspective, the new Offshore is an interesting watch; it’s a bit of a halfway house between the current Offshore with a modular movement and the future Offshore with the new in-house cal. 4401. In this case, it’s probably relatively uncommon. replica Breitling Avenger watches

 

Diameter: 42 mm
Material: Titanium
Water resistance: 100 meters
Movement: Calibre 2385 (Frederic Piguet 1185)
Power reserve: 40 hours
Strap: Blue rubber with titanium pin buckle; comes with a white rubber strap