New AP Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Diver Models

The 150 Heritage pocket watch, the Neo Frame Jumping Hour, and the skeletonized Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar might have stolen most of the limelight when Audemars Piguet presented many novelties in January. Nevertheless, the pieces I was probably most curious to see and try on were a series of three tool watches. Well, these are tool watches made to high-horology standards and with a price to match. Still, the three new Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Diver models are water resistant to 300 meters and feature an internal dive bezel, qualifying them as proper instruments. The three new steel creations are tool watches that sit alone in the toolbox; they don’t have any competition. Are the watches still as impressive as they were when the ROO Diver debuted in 2010?

Is there a watch you could say is a true alternative to the €30,100 Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Diver? I can’t think of one. The Patek Philippe Aquanaut ref. 5167A-001 is the €25,700 “budget” alternative in the unlikely event you can find one at an official dealer, but it’s not a dive watch. The €23,250, limited-edition Blancpain Tech Ocean Commitment IV is a 45mm titanium dive watch from a Haute Horlogerie brand, but it’s sold out and simply too big to be considered an alternative to a 42mm diver. The regular 42.3mm Fifty Fathoms Automatique ref. 5010 1130 71S steel production model, priced at €19,700, is just “too cheap.” That also goes for the €15,800 Omega Seamaster Ploprof 1200M, which is also more of a domesticated instrument than a luxury dive watch. The watch that comes closest in price and brand prestige might be the €28,500 Rolex Deepsea Challenge. But with a 50mm case diameter, that watch is not easy to wear, to put it mildly.

Hands-on with three new Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Diver watches

So, in a way, the ROO Diver is in a class of its own. With this established, let’s see if it’s still as impressive as it was 16 years ago when it first surfaced. And it did make a big impression on me in 2010. The steel, black-dial Royal Oak Offshore Diver ref. 15703ST.OO.A002CA.01 (the €13,800 list price back then was already considered pretty steep) is a rugged piece with plenty of high-end touches that still looks fresh and clean.

The cleanliness of the dial is probably ROO Diver’s most attractive feature to me. The absence of sub-dials results in a clutter-free dial that shows off its distinct and prominent Mega Tapisserie pattern. An Offshore doesn’t need to be a chronograph to tell you it’s a rugged, capable, and exclusive ocean-going tool watch. The muscular proportions and the extra crown, which controls the inner dive bezel on the side of the 42mm case, make that clear enough.

Pink, turquoise, and teal

The three new variations are based on the updated ROO Divers from 2021. Five years ago, Audemars Piguet updated these watches with the in-house automatic caliber 4308. Other new features were the sapphire-equipped display case back and a patented quick-release system for easy strap changes. Also, the rubber to protect the screw-down crowns was axed in favor of ceramic, a very welcome upgrade.

When picking up either of the three new versions, the 42mm steel case, with its 14.2mm thickness and 55mm length, immediately gives you that confidence-inspiring feeling. Yes, you’re holding something luxurious and costly, but you also immediately want to dive off a cliff into the turquoise water below. But before doing so, it is worth having a look at the wonderfully finished case. Despite its raised bezel, it feels soft and smooth. The bezel’s brushed surface also feels satin-soft, and its look is enhanced by eight polished screws.

The perfect summer size

My grail summer watch is, without a shadow of a doubt, the Royal Oak Offshore Diver. But which one? As I wrote, the very first one is still crisp, but the presence of not-so-luxurious rubber on the two crowns isn’t the best. There’s also a very attractive version in forged carbon from 2012 that competes for the top spot in the pecking order. But the perfect summer watch, if there were no budget restrictions, would be one of the three new steel versions.

Let me first state that the size is perfect. The 42mm case is not too big or too small for a watch you’re mostly going to wear with short sleeves while feeling good, loose, and relaxed. The summer is the time to let go, be a bit more outgoing, and enjoy life to the fullest. And that includes your watch. Therefore, you don’t wear something that has to slip under the cuff during meetings. Instead, you want to show off just a bit. And you can with a ROO Diver because you don’t see too many around. I understand that has something to do with the price, but it’s also not the ROO you pick when you want to make a statement; the 43mm Selfwinding Chronograph is much better for that.

The 300m-water-resistant ROO Diver is a creature you spot way less often in the wild. It seems to be anything but the obvious choice, even if AP is the obvious brand when you’re shopping for exclusive timepieces with that edgy, sporty look rooted in high-horological expertise. The ROO Diver is a statement of individual style.

Steel and what else?

The new steel Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Diver comes in black and pink (15720ST.OO.A010CA.01), black and turquoise (15720ST.OO.A355CA.01), and a teal blue with a black and white rotating inner bezel (15720ST.OO.A403CA.01). The watches feature black ceramic screw-down crowns, and inside the case still beats the 4Hz automatic caliber 4308 with a 60-hour power reserve. Having a peek at it through the display case back is worth your time because you will see great movement finishing. For example, there’s Côtes de Genève and circular graining to appreciate, along with a blackened 22K pink gold rotor.

These latest Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Diver models each come with an interchangeable rubber strap, which matches the dial or accent color, and an XXL stainless steel pin buckle.

The dials all feature a Méga Tapisserie pattern, large, applied white or pink gold hour markers, and bold, functional hands with a luminescent coating. A date window sits at 3 o’clock, and to improve readability, there’s a little magnifying glass embedded in the dial.

Wearing the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Diver

At 165 grams, this steel watch is certainly not a lightweight — quite the opposite. However, the case’s size and proportions and the supple, wide rubber strap outfitted with an XXL pin buckle keep the watch steady on the wrist. Is it a 42 that wears/looks like a 44? In the case of the ones with touches of pink and turquoise, maybe so. The bright colorways are outgoing and won’t go unnoticed.

The teal-dial version, my favorite watch of the three newcomers by far, is much more subtle. With its white and black inner bezel and pink gold hands and crown details, this Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Diver looks more distinguished. Blue and pink gold can sometimes look a bit flashy and unrefined, but teal with just a few touches of pink gold in a steel setting looks timelessly good.

The color combination adds a bit of seriousness to a watch that’s made to have fun with. Also, the pink gold details certainly match the serious price tag. I would not have a problem wearing this watch all summer long, both in and out of the water. What a nice, distinctive tan line that would provide.

What is your opinion on the three new Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Diver watches? Would you say one of these is the ultimate summer watch? Please let me know in the comments section below.