MichaelC
[AP Moderator]
21927
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore End of Days
Earlier today, Mark in Paris posted on Audemars Piguet's newest Offshore, the Royal Oak Offshore Diver made for the brands relationship with the Hong Kong Jockey Club for the Queen Elizabeth II Cup. It is readily apparent from the reaction of our collectors that the watch is being well received. Offered in a limited series of 150 pieces, the new watch features a very interesting material combination - rose gold over tantalum.
And every time I see one of these great new Offshore editions by Audemars Piguet, I remember back to the one that really broke down barriers and dared to be different. The watch of course is the Royal Oak Offshore End of Days.
This limited edition of 500 pieces was made in collaboration with Arnold Schwarzenegger, and is featured in Arnold's movie bearing the same name.
The famous Royal Oak Offshore case was presented in an all black finish for the first time, coated with a PVD treatment.
Bright yellow hour and minute hands with luminous fill pop off the dial. The arabic numerals are coated in the same luminous material. It is a striking combination, very bold and daring. Of course, legibility on this watch is as good as it gets. Very easy to tell the time, even in low light conditions when the luminous material might not be fully charged.
AP's usual black rubber pushers and black rubber crown complete the rather serious and menacing look. A few strap options were / are available with this watch. My favorite, which will come as no surprise to regular readers here, is the velcro kevlar strap. It looks terrific and is super comfortable when broken in. I also feel it fits the "concept" theme of this watch better than the other options. Black calf with matching stitching and a rather famous black hornback strap with yellow stitching are additional options on this watch.
Not to be overlooked is the wonderful dial guilloche on the watch. Lots of texture. I'm also a fan of how the numerals sit on a smooth band that runs along the outer portion of the dial. The white markings are rather subtle on this version, and look very good.
As End of Days owners know, the watch is pure bliss on the wrist. Many fear scratching the black coating on the watch given its high value and status as a collectible piece, but I never experienced any issues with mine while I owned it.
Definitely a favorite piece for me to recall. Audemars Piguet has presented us with many great Royal Oak Offshores over the years. The latest QEII is quite interesting to me, and I certainly look forward to hearing more about it.
But I'll never forget the iconic End of Days. Really the one that paved the way for the many successful versions to come after. And one that will never lose its place in the history of AP and the development of the Royal Oak Offshore.
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore End of Days
Earlier today, Mark in Paris posted on Audemars Piguet's newest Offshore, the Royal Oak Offshore Diver made for the brands relationship with the Hong Kong Jockey Club for the Queen Elizabeth II Cup. It is readily apparent from the reaction of our collecto...
Yes, my friend, an iconic piece, one which nobody will forget.
I cannot remember all the " special " ROOs, but this one, yes! A Holy Beast, with a lot of character. Enjoy! Best, Nicolas
Yes, lots of character with the End of Days.
Certainly one of the most identifiable Royal Oak Offshores.
You are hurting me Michael
you are hurting me real bad :) That is ROO that will never be surpassed Thank you for the pain & pleasure Yours D
No intent D!
It had been a little too long since we remembered this Legend on the forum. Thanks for reading the article.
My AD
called me to have a look at the QE2 - an interesting combination and must feel quite heavy. Probably will see it next week. The EOD is IMO the one that started it all. This and the RB2 are the two that leaves a lasting memory whilst some of the others are...
Fernando, I look forward to your thoughts on the QEII.
I am rather smitten with it. A dear friend offered me an Orchard Road some time ago. I passed on it but think of it here and there. AP does tantalum very well.
QEII
I had the chance to see it over the week-end and I think the tantalum and RG works very well in this combination It is heavy as expected and I would think it equals platinum if wanting a comparison. The finish of the case, especially in this material is e...
The strap is an easy fix.
I would think it easy to include an extra rubber Diver strap, and that would no doubt look great on this watch. I agree on the buckle, and would think tantalum would match best. In 2007 I tried on an Orchard Road Offshore. It felt like the heaviest strap ...
My pleasure Michael.
Try and see one if you can. The tantalum has such a nice feel and the charcoal grey colour is like nothing else. IMO the grey rubber strap from the MS LE would look great on this piece. :) That and a tantalum buckle! cheers fernando
The mother of all ROO LE...
and this is the one, the menacing and memorable one. Thanks Michael for sharing with us a beautiful memory :)
My pleasure Wayne.
AP has provided so many wonderful creations for us. It says a lot that we can look back to older examples and still keep them in the same class.