For 150 years, Audemars Piguet has consistently combined ancestral skills with technology to push the boundaries of watchmaking while keeping with tradition. Building on this legacy, the Swiss manufacturer is happy to reveal two new Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Chronograph timepieces that perpetuate the collection’s exploration of ceramic. The first model boasts a sportive three-tone design combining a 43 mm black ceramic case with a bezel, crown and push-pieces in green ceramic, further contrasted by titanium details. With its sleek monochromatic black aesthetic, the second reference presents a 42 mm case and integrated bracelet entirely crafted in black ceramic. Both watches are powered by Audemars Piguet’s latest integrated selfwinding chronograph movements, Calibre 4401 and Calibre 4404, whose refined decorations can be admired from the titanium and sapphire caseback. These novelties’ avant-garde aesthetics blend the robustness of industrial ceramic with meticulous hand-finishing, highlighting the attention to detail that the Manufacture has been perpetuating across generations.

Known for its lightness and resistance to scratches, ceramic takes pride of place on these two distinctive Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Chronographs.

The first model boasts a 43 mm black ceramic case enhanced with a bezel, crown and push-pieces in green ceramic – a first in this diameter – while the titanium caseback frame, push-piece guards and bracelet studs contrast the dark hues. In keeping with the three-tone design of the case, the dial combines the latest generation Méga Tapisserie pattern in dark green PVD with a black inner bezel and matching snailed counters at 3, 6 and 9 o’clock. The 18-carat white gold hands and hour-markers filled with luminescent material are rendered in a silver-grey shade for added brilliance. On the back of the watch, the titanium and sapphire caseback reveals the intricate mechanics of Calibre 4401 ticking within. Equipped with the interchangeable strap system, this Chronograph is completed by a dark green textured leather strap and comes with an additional black rubber strap enhancing the model’s sportive identity.

Combining a 42 mm black ceramic case with a matching integrated bracelet, the second reference’s powerful monochromatic design is solely contrasted by the eight hexagonal screws in steel and AP monogram. On the dial, the latest generation Méga Tapisserie pattern, inner bezel, and snailed counters at 6, 9 and 12 o’clock are coloured in black using a galvanic process for a homogenous hue throughout the whole timepiece. Furthering this sober aesthetic, the dark grey tachymeter scale and chronograph indications are complemented by blackened 18-carat white gold hands and baton hour-markers, both filled with grey luminescent material.

The two novelties house the Manufacture’s latest integrated selfwinding chronograph movements. The 43 mm reference is powered by Calibre 4401, while the 42 mm model is equipped with Calibre 4404.

Both calibres feature the flyback function, which allows the wearer to reset and restart the chronograph without having to stop it first. The column wheel works with a vertical clutch system: when starting or stopping the chronograph, the hands respond accordingly without any hint of jumping. Furthermore, a patented zero resetting mechanism ensures that the flyback chronograph hands instantaneously reset to zero.

Visible from the backside of the watch, the movements’ refined decorations include Côtes de Genève, vertical, circular and sunray brushing, circular graining and polished chamfers. These models also showcase the dedicated 22-carat pink gold oscillating weight, rendered in dark grey for the 43 mm reference.

Crafting watch components in ceramic requires consistency and precision, in the same way a chef must maintain strict control over ingredient proportions, timing and temperature to ensure a dish is perfectly prepared. The first step is mastering this material’s precise manufacturing process to obtain the perfect colour. The second is finishing the components to reveal the Royal Oak Offshore’s multifaceted architecture while meeting Audemars Piguet’s highest quality standards. And finally, aligning the alternating polished and satin-brushed surfaces of the case and bracelet.

A recipe typically starts with selecting, measuring and blending the ingredients according to the desired taste and texture. Although the exact composition of Audemars Piguet’s ceramic remains a well-kept secret, it contains Zirconium Oxide (ZrO2) powder mixed with dedicated binder content before being transformed into ceramic through a complex industrial flow requiring different stages of high-precision machining. Pigments of colour are added to the powder before the manufacturing process, making it an integrant part of the material. Just as a cake darkens while baking in the oven, the components achieve their final hue only once they have been sintered at a temperature exceeding 1,400°C. Reaching a homogeneous rendering is a complex operation as ceramic’s final colour depends on the sintering – which allows no variation – just like ingredients that interact at specific temperatures to release flavour and form texture.

In culinary processes, the finishing touches elevate the food, making it not only savoury but visually pleasing. Driven by the brand’s uncompromising approach to the craft, the Manufacture’s artisans grant ceramic the same high-end level of finishing as precious metals to exploit all the subtleties of the material and reveal the richness of its hues. Each component is pre-polished and pre-satin-brushed before being meticulously finished by hand, showcasing the blend of age-old skills with advanced technologies that has characterised Audemars Piguet since its inception. Lastly, much like how artful plating enhances the appeal of a dish, assembling the intricate lines created by the alternating polished and satin-brushed surfaces of the case and bracelet is the final step to achieving a flawless result.



Industrial ceramic made its debut at Audemars Piguet with the Bamboo collection in 1986 when the exploration of high-tech materials was gaining popularity. Blending tradition and innovation, the collection offered different models with two-toned bracelets combining diamond-set gold with ceramic links in red, white or black.

In the early 2000s, new materials and alloys inspired by technical fields, such as extreme sports, made their way into Haute Horlogerie introducing varied colours and new aesthetics. Ceramic, which was once valued mainly for its practical qualities, gained new recognition and evolved to a symbol of design and technical skill. The Royal Oak Offshore collection became the perfect platform to experiment with this material. In 2006, Audemars Piguet released the Royal Oak Offshore Rubens Barrichello Chronograph II, the first watch to feature a bezel, crown and push-pieces in black ceramic. This automotive-inspired timepiece heralded a new generation of sports watches boasting ceramic bezels in variegated shades, including white, blue and khaki.

In 2011, the Manufacture went a step further, presenting its first black ceramic case with the Royal Oak Offshore Arnold Schwarzenegger The Legacy Chronograph. With its 48 mm diameter, this extreme and ultra-resistant sports watch showcased a bold, yet sophisticated style. Black ceramic took on a more refined look when it made its appearance in the Royal Oak collection in 2017 with the first all-black ceramic Perpetual Calendar in 41 mm. For the first time in Audemars Piguet’s history, the watch also offered a bracelet fully crafted in black ceramic, enhancing the collection’s silhouette and hand-finishing techniques. This model was complemented with a white ceramic version two years later, while other Royal Oak complications dressed in black ceramics followed, including the Royal Oak Tourbillon Chronograph Openworked (2018), the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Openworked (2019), the Royal Oak Tourbillon Extra-Thin (2019), as well the Royal Oak Double Balance Wheel Openworked (2020).

Now available in white, black, brown, blue, green and grey, ceramic continues to push the boundaries of both style and function, reflecting the brand’s enduring commitment to exploring materials by combining tradition with innovation.


Audemars Piguet is the oldest fine watchmaking manufacturer still in the hands of its founding families (Audemars and Piguet). Based in Le Brassus since 1875, the company has nurtured generations of talented craftspeople who have continuously developed new skills and techniques, broadening their savoir-faire to set rule-breaking trends. In the Vallée de Joux, at the heart of the Swiss Jura, Audemars Piguet has created numerous masterpieces, testament to the Manufacture’s ancestral savoir-faire and forward-thinking spirit. By pushing the boundaries of what is possible and building bridges between different creative worlds, Audemars Piguet has been able to explore new horizons and build an inspired community. Seek Beyond.

The new Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Chronograph references in ceramic are adorned with the Manufacture’s trademark satin-brushed and polished hand-finishing for a constant play of light that underlines the collection’s multifaceted architecture.

Reference	:	26420CE.OO.A063VE.01
Functions	:	Flyback chronograph, hours, minutes, small seconds and date
Case	:	Black ceramic case middle Green ceramic bezel Push-pieces and screw-locked crown
Diameter	:	43 mm
Glass	:	Glareproofed sapphire crystal
Caseback	:	Titanium and glareproofed sapphire
Water resistance	:	100 m
Thickness	:	14.4 mm
Dial	:	Green Méga Tapisserie dial Black inner bezel and counters 18-carat white gold Royal Oak Offshore hands and hour-markers with beige luminescent material
Movement	:	Selfwinding Calibre 4401
Oscillating weight	:	Dark grey 22-carat pink gold
Diameter	:	32 mm (14 lignes)
Thickness	:	6.8 mm
Components	:	381
Jewels	:	40
Power reserve	:	70 h minimum guaranteed
Frequency	:	4 Hz - 28,800 vibrations/hour
Bracelet	:	Interchangeable dark green textured calfskin leather strap Additional black rubber strap
Clasp	:	Titanium pin buckle

The new Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Chronograph references in ceramic are adorned with the Manufacture’s trademark satin-brushed and polished hand-finishing for a constant play of light that underlines the collection’s multifaceted architecture.

Reference	:	26238CE.OO.1300CE.02
Functions	:	Flyback chronograph, hours, minutes, small seconds and date
Case	:	Black ceramic case middle Green ceramic bezel Push-pieces and screw-locked crown
Diameter	:	42 mm
Glass	:	Glareproofed sapphire crystal
Caseback	:	Titanium and glareproofed sapphire
Water resistance	:	100 m
Thickness	:	14.4 mm
Dial	:	Black Méga Tapisserie dial Black inner bezel and counters at 6, 9 and 12 o’clock Blackened 18-carat white gold Royal Oak Offshore hands and hour-markers with grey luminescent material
Movement	:	Selfwinding Calibre 4404
Oscillating weight	:	Dark grey 22-carat pink gold
Diameter	:	32 mm (14 lignes)
Thickness	:	8 mm
Components	:	433
Jewels	:	40
Power reserve	:	70 h minimum guaranteed
Frequency	:	4 Hz - 28,800 vibrations/hour
Bracelet	:	Black ceramic
Buckle	:	Three-blade folding clasp in titanium