I’ll make no bones about it. We no longer reside in the relaxed atmosphere of 2006, where it seemed the louder one’s luxury watch was, the better. With the maelstrom of world events, economic turbulence, and steep price hikes in recent years, my own favorite luxury watches have ever increasingly become those with a more subdued presence. This is even more the case when we’re discussing an already world famous design or prestige brand flagship which is well known; depending on the fame of said watch design, you may not entirely escape the public’s attention (desired or otherwise), but certain variant or metal choices choices will keep your love of achingly dear horology a more private affair, if you happen to feel similarly to myself, at any rate. (Which I admit, I feel somewhat a minority in, being a horological child of more innocent times in the 90s and early 2000s, when being a watch hobbyist was more accessible and free of stigma.) With that in mind, I think it’s worth taking a look at one of the most recent addition to the prestigious and highly coveted Royal Oak Offshore range from Audemars Piguet. In this case, AP has chosen to expand their Offshore Diver line with a precious white gold model. In so doing, they’ve given this renowned 42mm high-luxury diver a very subtle yet distinguished character which stands out just enough from its more commonly seen steel variants. More specifically, it does so because of well-chosen stylistic choices here and there rather than overt flash and bling. In fact, looking at it, you’d scarcely distinguish it from a steel AP Offshore…unless, you’re a typically sharp-eyed WIS of course! And we all know how that goes, but I digress.
Even before the handsome black ceramic bezel–a key departure from the stainless steel models with their meticulously brushed stainless steel equivalents–I noticed the dial, and more specifically, the color of its luminous applications. An appealing ecru tone, the luminous application strikes a rather nice balance between warmth and the aggressive watch industry trend of fauxtina, which we can all admit has about an equal ratio of ardent fans to vociferous detractors. Regardless of one’s feelings about the trend in vintage-tinted lume, I think most can agree that the shade AP has chosen is very pleasing, reminding me of a well aged tritium dial minus any tropical sort of water damaged affliction seen on certain specimens of vintage sports watches. The Offshore Diver in white gold has the newer luminous hour indexes of differing lengths, giving it a more classic, Submarineresque sort of vibe, which after many decades is almost ingrained into the watch loving public’s subconsciousness as THE look for a dive watch. Legibility is another superb trait of this arrangement, as quarter hours are that much more distinguishable at a quick glance. One can still smile at the large pattern “Mega Tapisserie” waffle guilloche that is a hallmark of the Royal Oak design, knowing the heritage of the watch and its rich history within the pantheon of greats. If that isn’t enough, you have the polished white gold AP signature at 12 o’clock, proud, yet slightly aloof, without the additional Audemars Piguet spelled out in full below it; the hands and hour markers, distinctively shaped and faceted, are also in polished white gold and reflect light in a titillating fashion. Dial print is at a clear minimum, focusing the eyes on the purposeful indications of time, the elapsed time bezel, and the seconds hand sweeping clearly, the latter thing an assurance that your upscale diver’s tool is fully functional to see you through to another dive…or out of a soul-crushing meeting. And speaking of the latter, if you want to dress your diver up, a quick change strap system at the lugs enable you to quickly swap the rubber strap to a supplied alternative in calf leather, or any other appropriate AP or aftermarket alternative in your exotic material of choice.
While the 18K white gold case might be barely indistinguishable from stainless steel alternatives used in other AP Offshore Diver model references, the use of ceramic for the octagonal bezel, screw-locked winding crown, and the secondary bezel adjustment crown give a barely noticeable yet decidedly clear upsurge of luxury presence. Impeccably manufactured from the nearly scratch proof material, these elements display the same crisp angles and beautiful polished facets as the case flanks and lugs, and keep the feeling of the details high tech as well as artisanal. While there are few precious metal dive watches that might tempt you to challenge the depths beyond your desk, this one has enough subtlety and purposefulness to push that envelope and tempt a few brave souls who long for the days when an expensive tool watch was, well, still a tool. Should you dare to so do, know that Audemars Piguet has verified the pressure-proof capability to a very worthy 300 meters, far more than sufficient for scuba diving necessity, and well above the limits of the average Homo sapiens.
The in-house AP 4308 movement, familiar from its stainless steel Offshore Diver brethren, continues Audemars Piguet’s family of updated in-house calibers. It is both refined, attractively appointed in the extreme, and at 5.4mm thick, surely more than reasonably robust for a haute horlogerie engine. Equipped with a freely-sprung Gyromax balance wheel pulsing 28,800 beats hourly on a fully supported balance bridge, the 4308 offers up 60 hours of power reserve–not the longest in the field of worthy competitors, but certainly more than enough for most reasonable use, especially when considering the attractive sight it offers through the sapphire back. Those niceties include lusciously broad Geneva stripes, bridges with scintillating polished angles, and a 22K gold mass elegantly and discreetly oxidized a dark color for a nice contrast with the rhodium-plated bridges, as well as a nod to the purposeful capabilities behind the luxury facade. It’s slightly surreal to acknowledge the passing of nineteen years since the debut of the caliber’s forefather, the 3120, but the aesthetic and functional heritage of that pioneering automatic for AP is clear, and it’s great to see it evolving into existing and new model families from the esteemed Vallee de Joux manufacture. This movement is certainly not the most exotic of Audemars Piguet calibers, nor the most extensively hand finished, but it represents AP’s commitment to functional yet luxurious and exclusive mechanisms for their most popular model lines. It’s a shame that just 300 examples of this specific Offshore Diver will be made, but I suppose “all good things must come to an end”, as the saying goes.