Hands-On: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore 37MM Review

As you may already know, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore is the beefier version of the Royal Oak. The Offshore was designed to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Royal Oak, which debuted in 1972. However, due to some production delays, the Offshore entered the scene one year late in 1993 — and boy, did it turn some heads. Many in the watch community thought it was too big and too aggressively designed; it even picked up the nickname “The Beast.” Even Gerald Genta accused Audemars Piguet and Emmanuel Gueit (the designer behind the Offshore) of having destroyed his original Royal Oak design. That Offshore model was only meant to be an anniversary model. However, the tides eventually turned, and the watch became popular enough that AP spun it into a standalone collection outside of the classic Royal Oak lineup. More variations were added to the Offshore range over the decades and today, it offers a wide assortment of styles and sizes. I had the chance to go hands-on with a smaller and sparkly version and wear it for a few weeks — and it did not disappoint. Keep reading for my Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore 37MM review.

Further Reading:
Gerald Genta: The Most Influential Watch Designer of a Generation
Guide to Audemars Piguet Nicknames

First Impressions, Fit, and Feel

You know how certain pieces in your wardrobe automatically make you feel good when you put them on? Like a killer jacket, those lived-in jeans, or the softest sweater you own? That’s the same feeling that I got when I strapped the Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph 37mm on my wrist. Maybe it’s all the hype surrounding Audemars Piguet, maybe it’s the bold look and dash of diamonds, or maybe it’s because it’s an all-around awesome design. It’s a watch that immediately looked and felt great the second I put it on.

For reference, my wrist measures about 6.25 inches (15.9 cm) and I tend to gravitate towards smaller watches for my day-to-day wear. This one is far from small (for me) but it fits like a dream. The case measures 37mm in diameter and 12.4mm thick, which is not slender by any means, but the Offshore chronograph is a sports watch so thickness comes with the territory. Due to the shape of the case and the short and sharply down-turned lugs, there’s no uncomfortable wrist overhang that can sometimes plague larger sports watches.

There’s a definite heft to the Offshore on the wrist, but not cumbersome at all; it’s more like that old-school thought that some weightiness equates to a high-quality watch. The rubber strap is super comfortable and certainly reduces what the watch would weigh if it were a bracelet. I found the clasp to be annoying and finicky to open and close; however, once it was securely fastened it was fine.

The Aesthetics

Now that I’ve covered the fit and feel of the Royal Oak Offshore 37mm, let’s go over the design details. This is the ROO reference 26231ST.ZZ.D002CA.01, which is a stainless steel variant with a diamond-set bezel, black dial, and black rubber strap. Like all Royal Oak Offshore watches, it has the signature octagon-shaped bezel with eight exposed screws. Alternating with the screws are 32 brilliant-cut diamonds (approximately 1.02 carats), which add some nice sparkle to the watch.

The steel case has a mix of brushed and polished surfaces, along with beveled edges. When looking at the watch from the side, you can clearly see the black gasket under the bezel — a signature design trait of Offshore watches. The octagonal case shape provides beautiful angles throughout the silhouette, which when combined with the different finishes, is an absolute joy to look at. The polished sides of the bezel serve to highlight the famous eight-sided form.

The AP logo-engraved hexagonal winding crown is flanked by angular crown guards, and on both sides of those, are the pump-style chronograph pushers. Everything is executed to the highest degree; essentially this is the type of quality you’d expect from a luxury watch brand such as Audemars Piguet. The case is water resistant to 50 meters. Do I wish that it were 100 meters instead? No, not really. 50 meters or 165 feet is more than enough for me.

The design of the dial is what AP calls “Lady Tapisserie” whereby the hobnail (a.k.a. tapisserie) is only at the center rather than spreading across the entire surface. Framing the pattern is a circular-grained finish, where the applied hour makers sit. Around the periphery is a white minute track. I like this interpretation of the tapisserie dial; it’s familiar yet offers something a little different than other Royal Oak Offshore models.

At the 3, 6, and 9 o’clock positions sit the trio of counters, 30 minutes, running seconds, and 12 hours, respectively. There’s also a date window wedged in between four and five, and I appreciate the color-matched date wheel. It blends into the background when you don’t need it but is easy to spot when you do. The legibility of this lady’s Royal Oak Offshore 37mm is solid and there’s also lume on the hands and hour markers for easy nighttime reading.

Caliber 2385

Powering the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore 37 is the Caliber 2385 automatic integrated column-wheel chronograph movement, which is based on the famed F. Piguet Caliber 1185. The movement measures 26.2 mm in diameter and a slim 5.5mm thick; it includes 304 parts including 37 jewels.

Unfortunately, we can’t see the movement due to the solid steel caseback. Spec-wise, Caliber 2385 operates at a frequency of 21,600 beats per hour (3 Hz) and supplies the Offshore 37mm with 40 hours of power reserve. Functions include chronograph, hours, minutes, small seconds, and date.

In action, the actuation of the chronograph is smooth — and thanks to the vertical clutch, there’s almost no jittery start and stop of the chronograph hand.

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore 37MM Review – Final Thoughts

The Royal Oak Offshore in 37mm is one of the most impressive watches I’ve worn in a long time. It’s gorgeous to look at, the quality is undeniable, and despite its beefy reputation, it’s ultra-comfortable to wear thanks to its thoughtful proportions. The combination of the white metal, white diamonds, and black dial and strap is easy to coordinate with anything but honestly, you could be wearing a basic tee and this watch will dress it right up.

I know some are tired of hearing about Royal Oak and Royal Oak Offshore watches; these are some of the most hyped watches on the market today. I get it, there are so many articles, videos, and social media posts about these models and it’s easy to start thinking that once you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all. Yet, setting aside their immense popularity and over-exposure, at the heart of it, these are fantastic watches that, in my opinion, deserve all the praise that they get. Strong design language, excellent performance, flawless finishing, and most surprising to me, excellent wearability.

If I were lucky enough to own this Royal Oak Offshore 37mm ref. 26231ST.ZZ.D002CA.01, I would proudly wear it (and flaunt it) every chance I got.

Royal Oak Offshore 37mm Specs

Model	Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Chronograph 37mm
Reference	Ref. 26231ST.ZZ.D002CA.01
Case Size	37mm diameter 12.4mm thick
Case Material	Stainless steel Diamond-set bezel (32 brilliant-cut diamonds)
Dial	Black Lady Tapisserie
Strap	Black rubber strap Steel folding AP clasp
Movement	Caliber 2385 self-winding chronograph movement 40 hours power reserve
Water Resistance	50 meters
2024 Retail Price (MSRP)	$37,700

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