Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Rubens Barrichello II

pfang56 · 2019-10-21T13:59:57Z

Collector pfang56 acquires an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Rubens Barrichello II, sparking a discussion on 'Neo-Classic' AP designs, material innovation, and collector satisfaction.

pfang56

WPS member · Audemars Piguet forum

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Peter (pfang56) revisits the 'Neo-Classic' era of Audemars Piguet, sharing his acquisition of a Royal Oak Offshore Rubens Barrichello II. He frames this choice as a testament to the model's enduring modern design and relative value, prompting a rich discussion among collectors about this distinctive period in AP's history.

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Hi all,

It looks like the AP bug has hit me again recently!

After considering several of the new pieces, I decided to acquire this wonderful "Neo-Classic" Barrichello that represents a special period where AP demonstrated the audacity and avant-garde in their offshore line. Sure, there seems to be some interesting new pieces, but I really think the Barrichello is an incredible design that looks modern today! And for better or worse, it is a decent value vis a vis some of the newer pieces.

I will post more thoughts later (esp relative to the ceramic piece) but I'm definitely loving it!

Cheers all

Peter

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Key Points from the Discussion

The Rubens Barrichello Offshore models are considered among the most interesting and beautiful Offshores, representing a period of audacity and avant-garde design for AP.
The satisfaction of acquiring a long-desired 'Neo-Classic' Offshore, like the Survivor or Barrichello, is often heightened by years of appreciation for its details and concepts.
The material innovation of Cermet, seen in models like the Jarno Trulli, offered durability but could still show wear, leading to a desire for 'steel-colored' ceramic options for classic Royal Oak models to maintain their pristine condition.
The design and execution of the Rubens Barrichello II are highly regarded, with its complex machining and bespoke details, including ceramic finishings, making it a standout Limited Edition Offshore.
The Rose Gold Rubens Barrichello II is seen as a versatile and fun alternative to heavier, full-gold pieces like the RG Perpetual, offering a balance of luxury and practicality with its ceramic elements and water resistance.
The 'Neo-Classic' Offshore models, such as the Survivor and Grand Prix, continue to captivate collectors, with some finding it difficult to consider other Offshores due to the satisfaction these pieces provide.

The Discussion

edo.k

Oct 21, 2019

Ap put best effort in racing limited models...

and no other ROOs came even close... 90% of other ROOs are just dial color change...

MichaelC

Oct 21, 2019

The Survivor ruins your theory.

Whether you like it or not is irrelevant. The watch's design and execution took quite a bit of effort and the result is undeniable. And the machining was much more complicated than the Barrichello, easy for anyone to see, but also stated to me by Octavio Garcia.

pfang56

Oct 21, 2019

I think the Survivor really took the audacity to the limits...

That and the wonderful Team Alinghi Carbon really were bold moves by AP. Sometimes I do crave for a Survivor but am happy with my ceramic perpetual for now to complement an all black ensemble... Cheers, Peter

edo.k

Oct 22, 2019

Agree, forgot about that one... Survivor tops them all in number of details and probably production effort... [nt]

MichaelC

Oct 22, 2019

I feel a few others can be in the group like the Alinghi. But, to your general point about the RB2...

I will agree it is my favorite Limited Edition Offshore to date. It took seeing one live in person to truly understand how magnificent it is. And no pun intended there, but I am reminded of selling my Jarno Trulli to help fund the RB2 (and I adored the JT, but could not afford to keep it when buying the RB2).

pfang56

Oct 22, 2019

Sacrifices...

Hi Michael I also had a similar situation when I bought a Trulli many years ago. This was a really special piece in my mind but at some point I got frustrated with the softening / wear on the case, despite the material innovation with Cermet. So in this situation I decided to get something completely different and let go of my Trulli. I remain hopeful that AP can relook at Cermet and producing "steel coloured" ceramic watches for the more classic models like the 15202, or some of the perpetuals.

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Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Rubens Barrichello II

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