Pre-Owned Audemars Piguet by Analog Shift Royal Oak Offshore 'Safari' 40990284/AS05193

Why We Love It

Royal Oak.

It was the design that made Gerald Genta's career and remains, without question, the most celebrated collection in Audemars Piguet's near 145 year long history.

In 1993, the Royal Oak line expanded to include the Offshore Chronograph, which drove the bulk of sales for AP in the past few decades. Debatably, the Offshore is responsible for carrying AP into the 21st century and ushering them into the powerhouse position that they exist in today.

This particular model, a Reference 26470ST known as the Safari, is very much regarded as one of the great variations in the Offshore lineup. Introduced in 2005, this watch somehow manages to strike the perfect balance between sport and elegance... Featuring a stainless steel construction, an integrated brown alligator strap, an excellent cream tapisserie dial with contrasting black Arabic indices and a matching black handset, and matching black pushers and crown that round out the unique and memorable look of this piece.

In excellent condition throughout, this is a tremendous opportunity to pick up one of the most loved Royal Oaks to date!

The Story

Audemars Piguet, the vaunted manufacture from Les Brassus, wasn't doing so well at the end of the 1960s.  Their horological prowess aside, times were changing, customer tastes were evolving, and AP was stuck firmly in a very traditional past. Fortunately for us, their executives recognized this, and bet it all on the launch of an avant garde timepiece the likes of which the world had never seen.

Utilizing the talents of a designer named Gerald Genta, who would make his name for designing this very watch, AP planned from the beginning to make this new watch - dubbed the Royal Oak - a contradiction to tradition, and it became the world's first luxury sports watch.  Made in steel.  The gamble paid off, and the watch world clamored to get their hands on the cutting edge design, which featured a sharply angled watch with integrated bracelet, micro tapisserie dial, and ultra thin movement.

The response was so positive that their initial allocation sold out, resulting in an extension of the line as they scrambled to meet demand.  It can be said without question that the original Reference 5402 "A Series" - nicknamed by collectors as the "Jumbo" for its massive 39mm size - single handedly paved the way for a very bright future for Audemars Piguet.