Hot Take: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Chronograph “End Of Days II”
You might have read it, but did you get a chance to let the news really sink in? The Offshore turns 30 this year. That’s three decades. Thanks to a healthy diet of regular facelifts, the watch managed to become a forever-young legend. During the watch’s lifetime, some iterations have gained legendary status. The Royal Oak Offshore “End of Days” reference 25770SN was one of them, and now that bold stainless steel PVD-coated watch now has a modernized successor. It’s the 43mm Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Chronograph in black ceramic with bright yellow details.
The Royal Oak Offshore “End of Days” reference 25770SN was a limited edition of 500 pieces. And one of them was on the wrist of Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 1999 movie End of Days. The big and black “ROO” for the movie star was a steel watch that received AP’s first-ever PVD coating. It was quite avant-garde at the time, even trend-setting. The watch in the movie (and also the 499 other ones that were not) featured a Velcro strap, a black dial with yellow Arabic numerals, a date display at 3 o’clock, and three sub-dials. And along with the 42mm case, the bezel, crown, pushers, and clasp were done in black PVD steel too.
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore “End of Days” reference 25770SN — Image: Watchcollectors.co.uk
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Chronograph in black ceramic
Black PVD steel is not very 2023, but black ceramic is. And that’s why the homage to the original ROO “End of Days” is done in scratch-resistant, lightweight, anti-allergic, black high-tech ceramic. The new Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Chronograph is not just black, of course, there’s also a bit of yellow. You might know about my issues with the combo of black and yellow in watches. If you don’t, it doesn’t really matter. I will just stick to the facts and leave all the interpretation to you, the reader. Anyway, the look of the new ROO is bold, dynamic, and historically rooted. Also, the limited edition of 500 pieces is in line with the previous watch.
Feel like a (big) movie star
The movement inside the new ROO, however, is very different from its historical counterpart. And that’s a good thing because the new creation features AP’s latest self-winding chronograph movement, Calibre 4401. That’s a fully integrated 12-hour chronograph movement with a column wheel, a vertical clutch, and flyback functionality. You can have a look at it through the window on the display case back. You might also notice the refined decorations, including Côtes de Genève, circular graining, sunray finishing, circular satin finishing, and polished bevels. And there you’ll also find the 22K pink gold rotor. The NAC process gave the oscillating weight an anthracite hue.
To make sure you will feel special — like a movie star, for instance — the titanium case back is engraved with the words “Limited Edition of 500 Pieces”. If you want to know more about the watch, please visit the official Audemars Piguet website.
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