Black-Redgold: The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore „Pride of Germany“
Let’s start with the obvious, basically there, where this story will eventually end: the name of this special edition? It’s problematic. The new “Pride of Germany” – that sounds like a cruise ship christening at best. At worst however, the combination of ‘proud’ and ‘Germany’ leaves room for discussion in this country, due to very different but partly very good reasons. The predecessor editions from Audemars Piguet, amongst them the “Pride of China” and “Pride of Mexico” as well as “Pride of Indonesia” didn’t have to face this discourse.
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore ‘Pride of Germany’
At this point, everyone may take a deep breath if necessary, before even our passion for watches starts to turn into a political-correctivated issue. We are writing about Audemars Piguet: The manufacture from neutral Switzerland. And the Royal Oak Offshore is a Chronograph-made group discussion anyway – in any possible execution. A timepiece that polarizes. You go into a bar with this watch and ask: “Who likes it?”
A timepiece that polarizes – Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore ‘Pride of Germany’
Normally there will be silence. Because they love this watch. Or the opposite. But simply ‘liking’? That’s not what the Royal Oak Offshore deserves, because it stands for so much passion and it attracts so much attention.
The case of this ‘Pride of Germany’ is made of black ceramic
So, this Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph 44 „Pride of Germany“ Limited Edition comes 13 years after the soccer world championship’s summer tale, and just in time for the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. It will be available at AP-boutiques, Rüschenbeck and some others. Then again, seven years have passed since the author of this article nearly bought the DFB-limited-edition, a IWC ‘Big Pilot’ dedicated to the soccer European championship in 2012.
So, the idea of a Germany-watch is more than familiar to us. It is cherished. Also, the Nomos special edition “Orion 1989” in ‘November-grey’ to celebrate the 25th-anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall is just stunning. These watches have so much charm and character. Because they are made with the love for detail, instead of being simply coloured in black-red-gold.
Just like the new Audemars Piguet: It comes in two executions, which will at first glance not remind you of the German national colours at all. But although they are used very subtle, you cannot miss them. There is a version with a black ceramic case and red gold lugs, limited to 300 pieces (33.000 Euro, available at the AP House, AP boutiques and some retailers like Rüschenbeck, Bucherer and Oeading-Erdel). There is also a more exclusive version with red gold case, limited to only 30 pieces (47.000 Euro, exclusive for AP Houses and AP boutiques).
The ‘Pride of Germany’ is available in two versions: with a black ceramic case (limited to 300 pieces), or with a red gold case (limited to 30 pieces)
Both come with a black rubber strap. The dial: grey in its most elegant form – in AP-typical Méga-Tapisserie with the totalizers in black-white-and-grey-again. The hands are kept in rose gold, which is not unusual but, in this combination outstanding well balanced. Not to forget the lovely idea of automatically looking at ‘rosy-golden’ times over and over again. The caseback reveals an engraved mass, showing the Brandenburg Gate – probably one of the smallest motifs of this very massive construction.
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore ‘Pride of Germany’
The watch is equipped with the reliable calibre 3126/3840 with 50 hours of power reserve. It is the engine of a timepiece that has much more in common with the year 1989 than 30 years of the fall of the Berlin Wall. 1989 is the unofficial birthdate of the Royal Oak Offshore. It was only launched in 1993, but already some years before, Audemars Piguet assigned the creator Emmanuel Gueit with a horological tough task: to design a watch based on the Royal Oak from Gerald Genta, that would appeal to a younger audience. However, his first draft was so radical, massive and full of testosterone that it could have impossibly be realized, as there was hardly any demand for watches of this size. Even when the design was presented to the public, it was heavily controversial. Just like the first Royal Oak in 1972.
A miniature motif of the Brandenburg Gate is engraved on the mass
For a long time now, the Offshore line pulls a good amount of turnover for Audemars Piguet. On its long way of success, it was always accompanied by the criticism from enthusiasts of classical and elegant watches. Whenever they launch a new Offshore, in candy-like colours for example, they would get all excited on how anyone on earth would want to spend such an amount for such a fashionable watch. But the answer is simple: It’s made for watch aficionados, who don’t think as conventional and appreciate the revolutionary charm of the Offshore. It’s for those, who like contemporary design and don’t want to be dictated what a ‘good watch’ has to be like. In this sense, the “Pride of Germany” fits quite well into this tradition of breakup, resistance and change. Where would we end up, if we would let anyone ban the word ‘proud’ from our vocabulary, and how boring would the world of watches be, without black-redgold statement pieces like this one.
There has been a lot of speculations lately, whether and when the Saxon watchmakers will venture to introduce their very first sports model. Now, all the waiting, speculating and guessing has come to an end. The ODYSSEUS opens up a new chapter for A. Lange & Söhne, their first regularly produced timepiece in stainless steel.…
It’s back. A familiar sight, yet different in many ways. Slightly larger, significantly bolder, and certainly radiant. But before we take a closer look at the Reference 5811, the relaunch of the ultimate Nautilus longed for by so many, and thus probably the most discussed new launch of the year, the successor of the 5711,…
At SIHH watch fair 2018 Montblanc has introduced a whole new range of exciting watches from their 1858 collection celebrating 160 years of the Minerva Manufacture – and dedicated them to the Mountain Explorations from the 1920s and 1930s. Last year Montblanc’s 1858 collection was reissued. This year these watches are re-launched with a little…
Did you know that Zenith was the second watch brand to create and manufacture wristwatches specifically for pilots? And it gets even better! Visionary and Zenith founder Georges Favre-Jacot had the term "Pilot" trademarked long before humans took to the skies. It is therefore only logical that the brand is dedicating a very special edition…
Following the launch of the AVI Ref. 765 1953 Re-Edition in 2020, Breitling is now introducing the new Super AVI watch line, a larger version with a case diameter of 46 mm. The five new models pay homage to the most important fighter planes of the 1940s, as well as to the original references from…
On 2 October 2024, what had long been the subject of speculation was finally confirmed: LVMH and Formula 1 officially announced a new partnership. In a year that sees Formula 1 celebrating its 75th anniversary, LVMH gains the opportunity to bring its portfolio of 75 brands into the pinnacle of motorsport – and to grant…
We already introduced the new Vacheron Constantin Dual Time, which was shown at SIHH this year as part of their popular ‘Overseas’ collection. Another watch from this collection that really stands out is the Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin with a slender 4.05 mm movement powering a perpetual calendar and moon-phase indication. Take a close look to see its true…
Vacheron Constantin, the oldest watch manufacture to be in continuous production, celebrates its 267th anniversary in 2022 – and its Traditionnelle collection is the embodiment of the company's long-standing tradition. The Traditionnelle line skilfully expresses the sophisticated principles of 18th-century Geneva Haute Horlogerie and finds the right balance between perseverance and contemporary design. The signature…
Whether donned as a mark of distinction or simply to appear in-vogue, wristwatches are considered an indispensable companion for many a gentleman. Be it glowing in gold or shining in stainless steel, round or square, sporty or elegant – the timepiece a man wears on his wrist has become synonymous with one's sense of self,…
Collecting is certainly more of a journey than a destination as tastes, among other things, change over time. One thing which changes significantly, yet is scarcely talked about, is the underlying motive for making a purchase. At the beginning, starting out with little knowledge, you tend to make a purchase based on one sole factor:…
Charles A. Lindberg might have been the most prominent pilot, who trusted the know-how of watch brand Longines in the 1930s, which earned reputation in the field of aviation already from the very start. Their pilot watches distinguished themselves due to the rotating inner disc, which enabled the pilots to synchronize their watch with the…
This year, coinciding with the official press opening of the new Tudor manufacture, Tudor is introducing several new models to the following collections: the Black Bay, Black Bay 54 and Black Bay GMT, and Tudor Royal. As well as adding some new spins to the dials, Tudor is also treating us to new straps as…
As always, Chopard's latest creations are well worth looking at in detail, as they offer a glimpse into what the brand is calling the aesthetic future of the company. Seamlessly blending refined elegance with the precision of guilloché craftsmanship, the latest timepieces set a new standard for timeless sophistication. The L.U.C Lunar One and the…