AP Royal Oak Offshore Michael Schumacher LE

small-luxury-world · 2012-10-18T13:23:33Z

Explore the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Michael Schumacher Limited Edition launch event, featuring design insights and collector reactions.

small-luxury-world

WPS member · Audemars Piguet forum

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Small-luxury-world's report details the official launch of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Michael Schumacher Limited Edition in Berlin. This article captures the event's atmosphere and initial impressions of the watches, providing context for a highly anticipated collaboration. It synthesizes community feedback on the design and appeal of these special edition timepieces.

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Michael Schumacher was announced as an official ambassador for Audemars Piguet, about two years ago.
Of course everybody expected a Michael Schumacher watch from the beginning, but it took quite some time to do the project.

Yesterday it was officially presented to the public. One could see "mysteries" pictures in the world wide web weeks before, but it is always something different to see the real thing and to get all the details. The official press kit (pictures, data ...) was posted yesterday and so this part of the information is already known, I guess

The choosen location in Berlin is called KRAFTWERK, which is a former power station. I have been there before to see an exhibition about urban spaces and architecture, but as far as I know it was never used for such kind of events before. For sure it was quite a challenge to manage it properly in that huge and rough industrial premises, but from my point of view it was a success and I liked it a lot.

The press conference was hold in the former nerve center ...

... a fellow Purist (and watch journalist) preparing for the conference ...

... some fascinating buttons next to me and one said "Stop/Disturbance". It was no need for the button, because the conference was very "smooth"

Michael Schumacher and Tim Sayler (AP - Chief Marketing Officer) gave us lot´s of information about the whole project and it was nice to see how relaxed Michael was.
It seemed like he felt very happy with the close colaboration and the final result.

It is not the first AP we can spot on Michael´s wrist, but today it was a first. First time with his own AP ROO Limited Edition.

Which version did he choose for himself? Well, have a look!

Just in case the picture is not good enough, it was the pink gold version on his wrist. He brought it straight from home and he told us it was "sleeping" next to his AP pocket watch in his vault, before he was finally allowed to introduce it to the public.

I guess it will get lot´s of wrist time, because I saw his smile when he looked at and talked about his watch.

Even after all the questiones from the press people he was still smiling and in good mood.

Afterwards we have been invited to go to the next room and to see the real watches - finally

OK, ok, here we go ...

Have a look at the three versions (pink gold, platinum and titanium) and try to see everything you want.
I was not able to take "perfect" pictures because of circumstances, but I hope you will like them.

Pink gold:

Platinum:

Titanium:

Some pictures from the titanium version on the wrist, unfortunately not mine. Too many people wanted to have a detailed look and only a few pieces available.

After the press conference more people joined the event ...

... retailers, VIP´s ...

Of course I tried to spot some nice watches, but because of the light it was a tough job to shoot them. At least two I can share with you.

One is very well known ...

... but the second one is a rare beauty these days.

Upstairs we had dinner and party ...

Second part of Michael´s presentation and he was still passionated about.

Just in case you think Michael left afterwards. No, not at all.
I saw him in very good mood and talking to lot´s of different people, late - very late

There was Michael (The Legend), movie stars, music stars, VIP´s ...

but at the end the stars of the night have been three new watches.

My personal favorite is the titanium version, because it is the "simplest" and "lightest" one. The Michael Schumacher Limited Edition shows well chosen subtle design elements and those fit best to titanium. Pink gold and platinum look good as well, but they won´t fit to my personal expectations - in that case.

Expectations - did the new limited edition cover all my personal expectations? To be honest, no.

Don´t get me wrong, I like the watches a lot and all of them are beautiful. Lot´s of very nice details to see, for sure. But I know what Audemars Piguet is able to do, because they proofed it in the past. If they do a project for two years, together with a watch collector who has a huge knowledge about technologies from formula one ...

Most of the (technical) details we have seen before. The movement, the bezel, the pushers ...

But hey, that´s only me and my personal expectations and I could imagine that some of you think totally different.

Would like to get your thoughts, now or later when you had the possibility to see it in the metal!

Thanks a lot for reading and a big thanks to the team from Audemars Piguet for the invitation.

Oliver This message has been edited by small-luxury-world on 2012-11-06 02:45:00

Key Points from the Discussion

Many collectors expressed a desire for more unique design elements in the Michael Schumacher edition, noting its strong resemblance to the Grand Prix collection, particularly in the pushers and overall aesthetic.
The titanium version of the Royal Oak Offshore Michael Schumacher received significant preference among forum members for its aesthetic and alignment with the watch's sporty concept.
Some members wished for the inclusion of Audemars Piguet's innovative Forged Carbon elements or unique race-themed strap options to further differentiate the Schumacher edition.
Michael Schumacher himself chose to wear the pink gold version of his limited edition watch, indicating his personal preference for this variant.
The platinum version with blue accents and strap was also highlighted as a favorite by some, offering a distinct aesthetic among the three available materials.
The event's venue, KRAFTWERK, a former power station in Berlin, was praised for its unique industrial atmosphere, successfully transformed for a luxury watch launch.

The Discussion

amanico

Oct 18, 2012

And this MS in general... Honestly, I preferred the Montoya in titanium. Which included a nice series of racing details, yet. But I guess that it will find its fans. Best, and thanks for the very nice report, my friend. Nicolas.

foversta

Oct 18, 2012

Great pictures, especially in these poor light conditions. it is funny, I had a lunch with somebody from AP today who attended the event. So he described me the atmosphere and the event. Now, I have your report, it is perfect for me, even I missed the event, I had the feeling to be there with you! About the watches, titanium version gets my vote! Thanks Oliver! Fx

nautilus

Oct 18, 2012

My personal favourite is also the titanium and my AD has given me first option on the one that they get.

Fricks

Oct 18, 2012

... Not bad, even though i would have like something more interesting in the dial. Titanium for me too. Goes with the concept of this type of watch. Nicer in the metal or photos are close to reality?

fernando

Oct 18, 2012

Interesting venue to say the least! It's a bit ironic that his former team mate Barichello beat him to the punch with his version a few years ago which IMO created a bigger impact and drew in more fans. I agree with you that AP & MS could have gone a step or two further when designing this piece. Too similar to the Grand Prix IMO. cheers fernando

MichaelC

Oct 18, 2012

What an incredible launch event. I really appreciate your tremendous coverage of the event and of course the new watches. I certainly agree with many of your sentiments. From your photos, the titanium model does look most appealing to me. I'll look forward to seeing it.

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