ThomasM
[PuristS]
14331
Royal Oak Offshore Chronographs, ref. 26283ST
(mostly press release)
Hound's tooth check, gingham or polka-dot fabrics; the stripes on a zebra, the spots on a dalmatian, a chequered flag, a chess board... Black and white are diagonal opposites as inextricably entwined as day and night. The Royal Oak Offshore collection gives pride of place to these inseparable twins that remain innately superior to colours in that they never go out of fashion and thus maintain their unassailable dominance. Audemars Piguet is offering aficionados of Royal Oak Offshore chronographs a range of timepieces that can be appreciated like a crescendo, like an irresistible acceleration of time. The steel cased model with rubber strap basic models will delight purists looking for a sporting look perfectly suited to their wrist – with a 37 mm-diameter case – and free of any frills.
For the ladies who might want to wear a strong watch with a touch of bling (okay, lots of bling! 
) there are variants with a gem-set bezel, designed for refined women with a strong and slightly impertinent nature. And in the ultimate version, steel gives way to white gold on a black chronograph adorned with the fiery sparkle of hundreds of diamonds.
There seems to be some question about whether this model is for women or men. Now, really, in this day and age, does it matter if a watch is "designed" for men, or women? Aren't we confident enough, independent enough, to decide for ourselves what we like and want to wear, and what we don't, without resorting to labels?
I know one easy criteria for determining "gender" of a model is the case size, but let's put things in perspective: for all of history until the 1990s "men's" watches ranged from 32mm to 40mm, with most falling into the 32-36mm range.
Ladies watches usually ran from 32mm down to 16mm, with "boy's sizes" in between.
Yet today conventional wisdom tells us that ladies sizes are 36mm-40mm and men's sizes are 40-44mm?
If we were conventional, we would all be looking at Rolex and Breitling and TAG-Heuer!
Isn't AP about being daring, audacious, thinking and living outside the box?
Me personally? Anything larger than 44mm is "jewelry" regardless of being on the wrist of a man or woman, and the ideal "size" is the one that looks best on YOUR wrist.
DAMN THE LABELS!
There, I got that off my chest...
Steel and rubber make a self-sufficient pairing
These unashamedly sporty models are the first 37 mm Royal Oak Offshore chronographs to turn their noses up at diamonds. The legendary stainless steel octagonal bezel shines with a splendid purity that actually highlights its noble bearing. Its eight polished hexagonal screw-nuts stand out clearly and echo the profile of the polished bezel. These brilliant surfaces make an admirable contrast with the satin-brushed finish on the rest of the case. The subtle nuances of the steel vie with the charm of the rubber strap and the black or white pushers. The dials also play on the theme of opposites, with white hour-markers and Arabic numerals adorning the “Méga tapisserie” motif on the black dial, while the silvered dial features black hands and markers. These two timepieces are clearly destined to become classic basics.
Beautiful inside and out
The entire range is equipped with a top-quality selfwinding chronograph movement that is impeccably finished. Given the reliability and accuracy of this calibre, these newcomers to the Royal Oak Offshore collection might well lay claim to be simply perfect – each in their own distinctive way!
The movement is the same one used in the Royal Oak Chronograph, featuring a vertical clutch chronograph engagement and integrated design. It is a tried and true movement and considered one of the finest chronograph movements made.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph
References
26283ST.OO.D002CA.01
Stainless steel, black rubber strap
26283ST.OO.D010CA.01
Stainless steel, white rubber strap
Case
Stainless steel
Diameter: 37 mm
Steel case, polished steel hexagonal screws
Black or white rubber-moulded crown and pushers
Back engraved with the Royal Oak Offshore on a polished medallion
Water resistance : 50 m
Dial
Black with exclusive “Méga Tapisserie” motif, black counters, Arabic numerals and white square hour-markers with a luminescent coating
Silvered with exclusive “Méga Tapisserie” motif, silvered counters, black Arabic numerals and white square hour-markers with a luminescent coating
White gold hour and minute hands with a luminescent coating
Strap
Black or white rubber with stainless steel AP folding clasp
Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph
References
26048SK.ZZ.D002CA.01
Stainless steel, diamond-set bezel, black rubber strap
26048SK.ZZ.D010CA.01
Stainless steel, diamond-set bezel, white rubber strap
Case
Stainless steel
Diameter: 37 mm
Black or white rubber-moulded bezel set with 32 brilliant-cut diamonds (approx. 1.25 carats)
Black or white rubber-moulded crown and pushers
Back engraved with the Royal Oak Offshore logo on a polished medallion
Water-resistant to 50 metres
Dial
Black with exclusive “Méga Tapisserie” motif, black counters, Arabic numerals and white square hour-markers with a luminescent coating or
Silvered with exclusive “Méga Tapisserie” motif, silvered counters, black Arabic numerals and white square hour-markers with a luminescent coating
White gold hour and minute hands with a luminescent coating
Straps
Black or white rubber with stainless steel AP folding clasp
Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph
Reference
26092CK.ZZ.D002CA.01
Case
18-carat gold with black rubber-moulded bezel, entirely set with 323 brilliant-cut diamonds (approx. 5.9 carats)
Diameter: 37 mm
Black rubber-moulded crown and pushers
Back engraved with the Royal Oak Offshore logo on a polished medallion
Water-resistant to 20 metres
Dial
Black with exclusive “Méga Tapisserie” motif, white mother-of-pearl counters, eight diamond hour-markers and white square hour-markers with a luminescent coating
White gold hour and minute hands with a luminescent coating
Strap
Black rubber with AP folding clasp in diamond-set 18-carat white gold
Movement
Calibre : 2385 selfwinding
Total diameter : 26,20 mm
Casing diameter : 11.5 lignes (25,60 mm)
Total thickness : 5.50 mm
37 jewels
Up to 40-hour power reserve
Cadence of the balance: 21,600 vibrations per hour
Finish: all parts meticulously decorated; mainplate circular-grained and sandblasted; counterpierced holes; bridges circular-grained and adorned with Côtes de Genève motif
Functions
Hours and minutes
Small seconds
Chronograph with central seconds hand, 30-minute and 12-hour counters
Date
This message has been edited by ThomasM on 2010-01-20 11:42:39
Royal Oak Offshore Chronographs, ref. 26283ST
is this up- or down-sizing?
