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Rory McIlroy Leaves Audemars Piguet And Joins OMEGA

April 8, 2013 by 2 Comments

Golfer Rory McIlroy (we featured him here in the past) just signed up with OMEGA and left Audemars Piguet. OMEGA immediately captured him in an advertisement for the Aqua Terra collection, which they link to the golf sport. In the past, OMEGA has been sponsor of golf legend Ernie Els and during the years, added players like Greg Norman, Davis Love III, Sergio Garcia and Michelle Wie to their list of ambassadors. And now Rory McIlroy.

Rory McIlroy Leaves Audemars Piguet And Joins OMEGA

No worries for Audemars Piguet though, they still have some golf players in their stable of ambassadors. What to think of Belén Mozo, Bud Cauley, Christie Kerr, Louis Oosthuizen, Miquel Angel Jiménez and even more. A number of big watch brands want to be associated with golf, as it is one of the most popular sports world wide.

Here is a photo of Rory McIlroy in his AP days, wearing the Offshore Diver in forged carbon. However, he’s also known to wear the Royal Oak Chronograph 26300 (the guys from Hodinkee did a funny coverage on it in the past).

Rory McIlroy Leaves Audemars Piguet And Joins OMEGA

And below a picture that OMEGA released this morning on their official Facebook page, showing OMEGA CEO Stephen Urquhart and Rory McIlroy in front of a huge OMEGA clock, both wearing a Seamaster Planet Ocean. Assuming it is for this picture only, being a new ambassador for the Seamaster Aqua Terra collection.

Rory McIlroy Leaves Audemars Piguet And Joins OMEGA

More information can be found on the official OMEGA website and on their Facebook page.

Related posts:

  1. Audemars Piguet Royal Oak: Nick Faldo
  2. Factory Visit To Audemars Piguet in Le Brassus
  3. Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Leaves Grandmother Puzzled
  4. Rory McIlroy And His Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph Ref.26300
  5. Hands-On With The Audemars Piguet Millenary 4101

Filed Under: Audemars Piguet, Omega Tagged With: , , , , , , ,


Featured On Un Jour Une Montre

March 4, 2013 by 1 Comment

French blogger Jean-Sébastien Volpé of un JOUR une MONTRE (which means something like “a watch per day”) features a different watch every single day. His readers submit a (wrist)shot of their timepiece with a small anecdote or explanation and Jean-Sébastien publishes them on his blog.

Today, one of my own watches is featured on unJOURuneMONTRE.com. It is my Audemars Piguet Royal Oak chronograph ref.26300 that I purchased a few years ago.

Featured On Un Jour Une Montre

As the blog’s name already reveals, it is all in French language. However, an automatic translator on his website also makes sure it is readable in English and Spanish.

Visit unJOURuneMONTRE

Related posts:

  1. Oohhh.. Now I Need A Royal Oak Chronograph
  2. Rory McIlroy And His Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph Ref.26300
  3. Audemars Piguet ROC 26300 – One Of My Favorite Watches Explained
  4. Royal Oak Confusion – More 15202 ‘Jumbo’ versus 15300
  5. Watch Photography – Mike Mellia Featured In International Watch Magazine

Filed Under: Audemars Piguet Tagged With: ,


Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Grande Complication 44mm – SIHH 2013

February 27, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Royal Oak Offshore

Audemars Piguet’s most popular collection is without a doubt the Royal Oak. Even more precise, the Royal Oak Offshore collection. This more sporty version of the traditional Royal Oak watches, was introduced in 1993.

The Royal Oak Offshore chronographs and Offshore diving watches are the ones we already had seen in the past and now Audemars Piguet introduced the Royal Oak Offshore masterpiece: The Royal Oak Offshore Grande Complication in 44mm. This Grande Complication features a minute repeater, perpetual calendar, split-second chronograph, hours, minutes and small seconds.

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Grande Complication 44mm SIHH 2013

Royal Oak Offshore Grande Complication in Pink Gold and Titanium

This watch is definitely not for the weak hearted watch enthusiasts out there. Especially the 44mm 18 carat pink gold case of the Offshore Grande Complication ref. 26571RO.OO.A010CA.01 will be a heavy watch to wear in every respect. However, as shown on the photo above, there will also be a titanium version of the Royal Oak Offshore Grande Complication, the ref. 26571IO.OO.A010CA.01.

The differences in execution are very little but due to the use of different colours it appears to be a different watch. The pink gold version has white rubber chronograph pushers, a white rubber crown and the dial has pink gold hour markers. Also, the pink gold version comes on a white rubber strap. The titanium version is the one that we cover here on Fratellowatches.

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Grande Complication 44mm SIHH 2013

Minute Repeater With An External Amplifier

The wooden box of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Grande Complication is almost as impressive as the watch itself. A very large wooden box that contains a long round watch holder made out of (balsa?) wood. It has the same function as a soundboard of a guitar, in this case to amplify the sound of the minute repeater.

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Grande Complication 44mm SIHH 2013

AP Caliber 2885

The minute repeater is a complication that makes the horological heart tick faster. Operated by the slide on the left side of the Offshore case, as can be seen in the photo above.

The movement of this watch, AP caliber 2885, consists of 648 parts and besides the minute repeater, features a perpetual calendar, split-second chronograph and of course hours, minutes and seconds. With a diameter of 31.6mm and a height of 8.95mm, this is quite a large movement. However, if you consider the fact that it has 648 parts and all these complications, it is still micro engineering of course. With complicated timepieces like this and the recently introduced Tradition Tourbillon Minute Repeater Chronograph Audemars Piguet clearly demonstrates they play in the highest league of fine watchmaking.

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Grande Complication 44mm SIHH 2013

 

Luxury Sports Watch

The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak (Offshore) is a luxury sports watch, it always has been. The fine combination of brushed and polished finish on case and bracelets does not allow you to use this watch for sports activities without having to shed some tears afterwards because your watch got scratched or dinged.

The black ceramic is a welcome solution to prevent the octagonal bezel from scratching, but the biggest worry is about the case of course. The bezel is easier and cheaper to replace at some point. However, if you treat this AP Royal Oak Offshore Grande Complication nicely, it will be nice to you as well and will keep its fresh appearance.

Another important feature of this ref. 26571IO.OO.A010CA.01 with respect to luxury is that there will only be three of them. The same goes for the pink gold ref. 26571RO.OO.A010CA.01 version. Another example is the finish of the skeleton caliber 2885 movement. Executed by a single artisan, more than 820 hours are being spend on completing this mechanical wonder.

The sapphire dial gives a perfect view on the movement, something a watch connoisseur will appreciate at all times. Especially, when the timepiece has this level of finish.

Although I personally have a slight preference for the Tradition Tourbillon Minute Repeater Chronograph when it comes to the SIHH 2013 novelties, with both timepieces Audemars Piguet is showing the world what they are capable of.

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Grande Complication 44mm SIHH 2013

More information can be found on: www.audemarspiguet.com

Related posts:

  1. Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Montauk: Honoring a highway
  2. Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Safari Review
  3. Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Diver Ref.15703 Review – I Could Definitely Get Used To This Offshore
  4. Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 15202ST – A New Version Introduced At SIHH 2012
  5. Audemars Piguet Tradition Tourbillon Minute Repeater Chronograph (Ref 26564)

Filed Under: Audemars Piguet, BaselWorld and SIHH Novelties Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
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