![]() But, to my greatest surprise (I actually never thought about it), the ROO collection never featured a watch made entirely of ceramic, bracelet included. Initially released in steel with rubber inserts, AP quickly imagined variations around The Beast in titanium and forged carbon, as well as multiple models with ceramic parts. Image by Talking about materials, the ROO has always been at the forefront of innovation. Nevertheless, once the initial blast was over, the ROO became a new icon in the brand’s collection, celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. ![]() The reactions when the watch was presented were mixed Genta himself hated the concept. ![]() The result was a 42mm watch, with gigantic proportions back then, which gave the watch its nickname: The Beast. All the parts were beefed up and made more robust, and the choice was to equip the new Royal Oak Offshore with a chronograph movement – in line with the sporty vocation that the design evoked. The basics were kept alive – the octagonal bezel with screws, the overall shape of the case, the integrated bracelet like a chain, the tapisserie pattern on the dial – but everything underwent testosterone therapy. The result was a strong (really…) evolution of the design of the Royal Oak. For that, Emmanuel Gueit, a young designer about a year into the company, was asked to “ create something young men would want to wear“. The Offshore had to be the answer to the decline in sales of the classic Royal Oak. Just like the 1972 Royal Oak designed by Gerald Genta that changed the industry with a disruptive concept of a steel watch with an integrated bracelet, ultra-thin case and a construction as luxurious as a gold dress watch, the ROO also defined a genre. Its genesis was the answer to a changing market, with customers wanting something more striking, more robust, and more in line with the extravagance of the 1990s. We’ve extensively covered the first-generation Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore “The Beast” in this article. The Beast in black ceramic is a gift for hardcore fans of the collection. The result, this new Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Chronograph 42mm Black Ceramic 26238CE, is simply stunning. And to celebrate three decades of the ROO, Audemars Piguet has released a new version in full black ceramic… And surprisingly, this is a first for this collection. The first Royal Oak Offshore, a.k.a The Beast, truly was a beast of a watch. ![]() Extravagant, oversized and polarising at the time of its introduction 30 years ago, it defined the ultra-robust luxury sports watch genre. A watch that, like its Genta-designed 1972 ancestor, broke the rules and created an entirely new segment of watches. The Beast… Probably the second most emblematic watch of Audemars Piguet. ![]()
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