Photo Essay: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph City of Sails

December 23, 2011

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Another rare bird passed by my studio the other day: the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph City of Sails (ref.25860’IS.0.1110IS.01).

I must admit that APs are not my speciality (we have RJ for that), so I don’t have a lot to say about this one other than some observations on the aesthetics and design of the piece:

– For a watch this large, it’s surprisingly light – since it is a combination of stainless steel and titanium. Even more impressively, there does not appear to be any degree of compromise made in the finish, which is amazing as titanium is an incredibly difficult material to work with – especially polishing.

– The dial is…unique. It brings to mind several things – swimming pool, Chinese ceramics, and the possibility that the watch itself may not be entirely kosher – rest assured, it is. I’m just not sure I’d choose this color combination if I was given anything to do with the design. Still, it stands out, I suppose. Only 300 of these watches have been produced.

– As nice as the hexagonal screw down pushers look, they’re a pain to use; they must be screwed and unscrewed each time to maintain the water resistance of the case.

– This is one of the models containing a Piguet 1185 derivative (AP caliber 2385); the giveaway is the sundial layout and the proximity of the date wheel to the dial surface – note how a lot of Offshores have a little ‘tunnel’ containing a magnifying glass in front of the date (click here to read our Offshore Safari review). This is both to make it more legible, and partially hide the fact that the watch uses a modular chronograph.

– The bracelet is really first class – as befits a watch whose design hinges so much on the bracelet and its integration with the case.

Without further ado, I leave you to the photographs. As usual, all images may be clicked on for larger versions.

Enjoy!