The New Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Diver Collection

The Royal Oak Offshore Diver, first entitled Royal Oak Offshore Scuba, made its appearance in 2005. Since its release, it has seen a variety of vibrant dial colours and innovative, bold materials such as forged carbon or ceramic. But today marks an important step in the history of AP’s diver’s watch, with the update of the classic stainless steel model. New looks, new in-house automatic movement, more refined details on the dial and DIY interchangeable straps, but still the same spirit of luxurious robustness. Here’s our first look at the 2021 Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Diver Collection.

The first generation of stainless steel Royal Oak Offshore Diver (ref. 15703ST) appeared in 2010, followed in 2015 by the current generation of ROO diver, the ref. 15710ST, which came with a see-through caseback and small visual updates. Still, we’re virtually talking about the same watch since its introduction, with a 42mm steel case, a Méga Tapisserie dial, an internal rotating bezel, a rubber strap and the automatic calibre 3120 inside. As such, this 2021 version marks the first thorough update to be applied to this watch… Well, relatively-speaking, as if many aspects have been updated, we’re talking about an evolution, not a revolution.

For our first encounter with this new Royal Oak Offshore Diver collection, we won’t go into all the details (we’ll come back on this later, with a more in-depth article) but here’s what you need to know. The case of this new ROO Diver retains its proportions, with a 42mm diameter, a 14.1mm height and its 300m water-resistance. The overall shape is identical to the previous editions and only some details of finishing have been improved – more refined brushed surfaces and some work done on the polished accents, to give this watch even more appeal. The ROO Diver still features two screw-locked crowns, one for the movement and the other to actuate the internal rotating bezel. However, these are now made in ceramic instead of being covered in rubber, for more durability.

The watch also retains its innovative combination of materials with a stainless octagonal bezel and its clearly visible rubber gasket underneath, executed in blue or in green depending on the model. Rubber is also still used for the straps, with a new overall design, which is still closed by a large steel pin buckle. The real novelty here is the integration of an interchangeability system, with quick-release pushers on the back of the strap. We tested it and the system is extremely easy to use, very sharp and with a pleasant feel of quality. All three new versions of the ROO Diver are delivered with an additional rubber strap. Also, some more straps will be available from boutiques – green, blue, grey and black rubber, as well as leather straps in beige, brown and black.

This new collection is launched with 3 models, in unprecedented colour schemes:

• 15720ST.OO.A052CA.01 – Khaki green dial with pink gold hands/indexes, beige and black diving scale, black ceramic crowns with gold accents, green rubber strap, additional black rubber strap
• 15720ST.OO.A027CA.01 – Navy blue dial with white gold hands/indexes, black and white diving scale, black ceramic crowns, blue rubber strap, additional black rubber strap
• 15720ST.OO.A009CA.01 – Grey dial with white gold hands/indexes, blue and white diving scale, grey ceramic crowns, grey rubber strap, additional blue rubber strap

While keeping the Mega Tapisserie pattern as a signature, the dial of these new Royal Oak Offshore Diver watches has been updated. First, the external minute track is smaller. Then, markers have been fully redesigned, being shorter but bolder and done in two length – to separate quarter hours from 5-minute increments. As you’ll notice, the position of the date, which is still under a magnifying glass, is also different. Also, the inner rotating bezel features a contrasting 0-15min area for better legibility. Finally, the three models also feature a larger applied gold AP logo replacing the traditional long-form signature.

Last but not least, the main evolution concerns the movement, as the 2021 Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Diver features the brand’s new automatic in-house movement. Sharing the same base architecture as the movement unveiled on Code 11.59, the calibre 4308 is a modern engine with a focus on precision and reliability. It beats at 4Hz and boasts 60 hours of power reserve. The sapphire crystal reveals a nice decoration, with Geneva stripes, circular graining, bevelled edges and a new oscillating weight in blackened 22-carat pink gold.

Availability & Price

The new Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Diver 15720ST collection will be available in May 2021 from boutiques and retailers. The price will be CHF 21,650 (excl. taxes).

For more details, please visit audemarspiguet.com.