Like the Royal Oak Offshore collection to which it belongs, the Royal Oak Offshore Diver as we know it today exists as a specialised version of what is already a high-performance sports watch. Initially released in 1993, the Royal Oak Offshore’s destiny was to operate as a more robust and sportier version of the Royal Oak. A bit general in its execution, the Royal Oak Offshore was, and still is, a great sports watch, but not a diver’s watch. As such, AP created the Offshore Diver, or Scuba as it was known originally, to fill a longstanding void in the Offshore’s offering. First released in 2005, the Royal Oak Offshore Diver as we know it today began its life as the Royal Oak Offshore ‘Scuba’. A 35-piece limited-edition release at the request of the legendary German retailer Wempe for their 100th anniversary, the model proved to be so popular that it has hung around and become a celebrated version of a model that is already an icon in its own right. From the Scuba, the Royal Oak Offshore Diver arose in 2010 as the ref. 15703ST, which then evolved into its own collection over the years with models such as the ref. 15706AU.00.A002CA.0 that was launched in 2012. Made of forged carbon and featuring a black “Mega Tapisserie” dial, the Offshore Diver is very much a ‘form follows function’ type of watch, with its inner bezel, operated via the crown at 10 o’clock, rubberized grips for the two crowns and heavy lume. A specialized version of what was already a specialized watch, the Offshore Diver takes the Offshore’s robust construction and design and takes it to extremes that push the boundary far beyond where the Royal Oak would ever have been able to go. With its yellow accents, ceramic bezel and forged carbon case, this is one unique timepiece that has earned its place within AP’s hallowed halls.

Watch is in like new condition, still retaining its original plastic stickers covering the case and caseback.

As robust a watch as one would ever need, the Offshore Diver took the original Royal Oak blueprint to depths that Gerald Genta never even imagined, and this latest iteration has put it even further ahead of the competition.