Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Diver Review

MichaelC · 2014-10-28T13:42:00Z

Explore the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Diver, a unique non-chronograph with an internal bezel. MichaelC reviews the steel 15703ST, its Caliber 3120, and community insights on wearability and robustness.

MichaelC

WPS member · Audemars Piguet forum

17 replies8833 views6 photos

MichaelC provides a comprehensive overview of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Diver, a model distinguished by its non-chronograph design and unique internal rotating bezel. His insights highlight the watch's evolution from earlier "Scuba" models and its strong connection to the original Royal Oak DNA, making it a valuable resource for both new and seasoned AP enthusiasts.

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As this model has been brought up recently in a few discussion threads, it seemed like a good time to refresh on this unique Audemars Piguet Offshore. Unique in many ways, notably for being a non-chronograph Royal Oak Offshore, and visually for the extra crown located on the caseband at 10:00. Two attributes that jump out to all AP enthusiasts.

Launched in 2010, the Offshore Diver was the evolution of a few models that were released before. The previous series were known as the "Scuba", and began with some limited editions for Wempe. They were followed by 3 AP Boutique versions that featured different colors (orange, blue, and red).

The Diver's dial shows a striking similarity to the original Royal Oak dial, and it has been well embraced since its launch. We have seen other "black and white" themed watches from AP, and the combination seems extremely well suited for a dive watch.

Fitted on a wide rubber strap and secured with a tang buckle, a new level of comfort was achieved. Now known simply as the "Diver strap", many AP fans have selected this strap and buckle to pair with other AP Offshores.

When I hear the words "dive watch", the first thing I recall is the necessary rotating bezel. Most common, this rotating bezel sits atop the watch and is mounted on a mechanism which allows it to be directly turned by the user. Never one to follow the norm, AP instead elected to mount the Diver's rotating bezel inside the watch case. This offers a huge advantage of not allowing it to be accidentally moved once set, as it is rotated by using the extra locking crown at 10:00. I quite enjoy the interesting aesthetic this extra crown creates as well, as most watches do not have a crown located in this position.

Typical Audemars Piguet finishing seems even more apparent with a black dial and other accents. With all of the rubber components being black, the watch has a wonderful balance. In addition, I feel the "simple" dial layout and colors go a long way to emphasizing the beauty of the Royal Oak Offshore case.

With a 300m water resistance, this version features a rather massive steel caseback. It is much more common nowadays to see manufacturers fit open casebacks on all or most of their watches, but in my humble opinion, all dive watches should have solid casebacks.

As we know, AP has released several new versions of this Offshore Diver the past few years. Forged carbon case with ceramic bezel, black ceramic cased with orange accents, white ceramic cased with blue accents, and strangely my favorite, the tantalum and pink gold QEII. But we cannot speak strongly enough about the original steel diver, which thankfully is still produced today. This one offers strong Royal Oak DNA in the necessary and robust Royal Oak Offshore case. It utilizes AP's manufacture caliber 3120 and is supplied on a superb strap. Exceptionally crafted; it is a striking timepiece. Really nothing we would change on this one, and that makes for an outstanding long term watch.

Key Points from the Discussion

The AP Diver's design is so powerful that it often comes to mind before other dive watches across all brands. However, the Caliber 3120 can exhibit a slight minute hand jump when setting the time, a minor issue that can be mitigated by easing the crown slightly in the opposite direction after adjustment.
The steel Royal Oak Offshore Diver is a robust and capable dive watch, preferred over ceramic for actual underwater use due to steel's proven toughness.
The steel Diver is a fantastic watch, but the ceramic version offers an appealing all-black aesthetic, beautiful finishing, and scratch resistance, which is a winning combination for those who don't intend to dive with it.
The Offshore Diver is a great watch to consider within the AP range, with the black ceramic cased version with orange accents being a particularly sought-after variant.
The Diver's versatility allows it to be paired with almost any attire, making it a highly adaptable timepiece.

The Discussion

Tim_M

Oct 28, 2014

A valuable summary and reference-Well Done

Hi Michael, This is a fine overview of an often overlooked model line. It's great to have all of this information in a single-source reference for collectors and students of AP, especially in the case of a model that flies below the radar. Absent your study, this much background on the Diver could have consumed hours what with all the research of old trade show releases, forum posts, magazine reviews, and the like. More than a great resource, it's a smooth and entertaining read. Well done! Best,

MichaelC

Oct 28, 2014

Thank you Tim. Truth is I owe you a little more.

As I started writing the article, the intention was really to highlight this current reference 15703ST. But I also started thinking about the older models, I wanted to add photos of each. I have most of them on my hard drive but not all. I thought I would corral the missing ones and make a new post we can use as a reference. Thanks again for your kind words Tim.

emijar3

Oct 28, 2014

Nice pictures Michael!

You have really capture the beauty of the watch! I think the diver can be used with almost everything really like this watch. best! Ernesto

MichaelC

Oct 29, 2014

Hi Ernesto, thanks for reading the article.

The watch belongs to a close friend and I took those photos a long time ago. I really enjoyed having that Diver on my wrist!

respo

Oct 29, 2014

It was so enjoyable to read this article and revisit the Diver

When I read or hear the words "The Diver," it is this specific watch among all divers across all brands that comes to my mind. The AP Diver is that powerful a design IMHO. I owned this watch for a while, but sadly had to let it go to fund another watch and because I was re-focusing my collection a bit at the time. I may very well get another Diver down the road, as I miss this one a lot. I had only two reservations regarding the Diver. One was that I sometimes had to slightly turn the crown when

MichaelC

Oct 29, 2014

Insightful reply, thank you Respo

A tip on 3120 based AP movements... after adjusting the time, ease the crown ever so slightly in the direction opposite to which you had just turned it. So if you move the minute hand forward and stop exactly where you want it, turn the crown slight in the opposite direction to remove the pressure. I think you will find this trick to eliminate any jump in the minute hand :-) As for the height of these beasts... well, not much we can do about that. I do think steel is the correct metal for the Di

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Diver Review

Key Points from the Discussion

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