This week, Time Journal was able to get our hands on a watch that is so rare and sought after, a large majority of people yet to know it exists! The watch in question, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Le Byblos Edition, is a timepiece that celebrates the 50th anniversary of Le Byblos Hotel, located in Saint-Tropez, on the French Riviera. The Byblos hotel has been a long standing member of the Saint-Tropez revolution, in becoming the international destination for the rich, famous and beautiful. The 50th anniversary of Le Byblos Hotel also marks the unofficial start of the summer in Saint-Tropez and the French Riviera.
The new Royal Oak Offshore models launched for the 50th Anniversary of Le Byblos Hotel are available in two versions – a men’s version in 18K rose gold, or a women’s version in stainless steel and diamond set bezel. Here at Time Journal, we have had the opportunity to get up close to the men’s 18K rose gold version – and we are seriously impressed with this timepiece.
Measuring in at 44mm in diameter, the watch is crafted out of 18K rose gold, and features stunning white fittings, white dial, white rubber strap and rose gold hands. The combination (I believe anyway) is something to make your mouth water, a very serious design almost created to ensure it earns the title of the greatest holiday watch of all time – something which I think goes really well with the fact this is a limited edition piece celebrating Le Byblos. The trademark dial features Audemars Piguet’s signature tapisserie design, and amongst the dial features decorated subsidiary dials, the Audemars Piguet emblem located at 3 o’clock and a white tachymeter scale on the outer ring of the dial. The visually beautiful dial is completed with rose gold hour markers and the rose gold Royal Oak hands, which have been coated with luminescent material for the ultimate legibility.
The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Le Byblos Edition is powered by the automatic winding Calibre 3126 movement that powers minutes, hours, subsidiary seconds dial, date display and an automatic flyback chronograph complication. Unlike other Royal Oak Offshore chronograph models, this edition features all rose gold pushers, which ensure this watch looks completely elite and giving the wearer something new to notice about this special watch. Audemars Piguet also make excellent use of the exhibition case back for this watch. The exhibition case back serves as a spectacular viewing window to see more of this particular movement. With this watch, the Calibre 3126 movement can be admired from the back, and also features the hotel’s anniversary dates, the hotel’s coat of arms (or emblem), and the hotel’s name with ‘SAINT-TROPEZ’. On the case back 18K rose gold bezel, Audemars Piguet have inscribed ‘ROYAL OAK OFFSHORE’ along the top, with ‘LIMITED EDITION’ along the bottom.
The watch is finished off with a beautiful white rubber/ rose gold pin buckle strap that is sure to grab the attention of any passer-by. The combination of the white dial along with the white rubber strap give an air of a watch that is new and refreshing, and again works well as this watch slowly becomes known as ‘THE’ watch to wear over the summer. For the collectors amongst us, the watch is a limited edition timepiece of just 50 pieces, and the likelihood is that you will never see this watch out in public – not unless you’re sunbathing around the pool at Le Byblos in the height of the summer. This leaves collectors with the opportunity to acquire a very rare-sought after piece that not only looks unbelieveable, but also has a very high investment potential.
To conclude, its obvious that Audemars Piguet have created a timepiece that will undoubtedly cause much stir amongst collectors, fans and general watch people. The watch pays tribute to Le Byblos Hotel located in Saint-Tropez, who this year celebrate a 50th anniversary. This particular unveiling is merely one of a series of collaborations between other luxury brands and Le Byblos hotel – including limited editions from Maison Goyard, Missoni, Rolls Royce and Dom Perignon.
The watch is a well-thought out limited edition and both versions, particularly the men’s version, capture the very essence of Audemars Piguet’s elegant sportiness, whilst also creating a timepiece that could be titled as the greatest summer watch in existence. The watch feels at home in Saint-Tropez, and to a certain extent that’s the whole point – the watch is about exclusivity and luxury – much like Le Byblos Hotel. If I was to compare this to another watch, my first instinct is the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore LeBron James Edition. It is a exclusive summer watch with unbelievable aesthetics and a very high investment potential.
Leave a Comment