Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph 26238ST: Unboxing the Modern Beast
Table of Contents
Watch the full unboxing
The Royal Oak Offshore has long been the loud member of the Royal Oak family, and the reference 26238ST leans right into that. This is the steel Offshore Chronograph that pulls its look from the original 1993 Offshore, the watch widely nicknamed "the beast," then builds it with a current Audemars Piguet movement and finishing. We had one in for this unboxing, and it is every bit as substantial as the numbers suggest.
It arrives seated in the Audemars Piguet presentation box.
A Modern Take on the 1993 Beast
The Royal Oak Offshore arrived in 1993 as a bigger, more aggressive take on the 1972 Royal Oak. Where the Royal Oak explores that brutalist, integrated-bracelet design, the Offshore turns the volume up on the scale, the weight, and the architecture. The 26238ST draws directly on that first Offshore. It keeps the oversized case, the exposed hexagonal screws, and the tool-watch attitude, then pairs them with the finishing you expect from a modern AP.
The 42mm steel Offshore Chronograph, reference 26238ST.
Case, Size, and Weight
The case is stainless steel, 42mm across, with a 50.6mm lug-to-lug. AP lists the thickness at 15.3mm; on our calipers it came in closer to 15.8mm. Water resistance is 100 meters, which suits the sporty Offshore brief. What a spec sheet does not fully convey is the mass. This one hit 250.7 grams on our scale, about half a pound. The case is thick, the bracelet is thick, and you feel all of it the moment you pick it up.
On our scale it read 250.7 grams, roughly half a pound of steel.
The Blue Tapisserie Dial
The dial is blue with a petite tapisserie pattern, blue chronograph counters, and a blue inner bezel carrying the tachymeter scale. That is the smaller, finer tapisserie, not the oversized mega tapisserie you see on a lot of other Offshores, and up close it gives the dial a tighter, more detailed texture. The applied white gold hour markers and Royal Oak hands are filled with luminescent coating, so it stays legible in the dark.
Petite tapisserie in blue, framed by the tachymeter inner bezel.
The chronograph reads as a familiar tri-register layout: a 12-hour counter up at 12 o'clock, a 30-minute counter at 9, small seconds at 6, and the date window at 3. The dial is busy, like the early Offshores, but the execution is cleaner and tighter.
Chronograph hours at 12, minutes at 9, small seconds at 6, date at 3.
The markers and Royal Oak hands hold a strong glow.
Pushers and Crown
The chronograph runs off two blue rubber pushers that are large and easy to work. They sit beside a screw-locked crown that helps hold the 100-meter water resistance. Those rubber pushers echo the older, neo-vintage Offshores, and they break up the steel with a bit of color along the side of the case.
Blue rubber pushers flanking the AP screw-locked crown.
The Movement
Flip it over and the sapphire caseback shows AP's in-house Caliber 4404, a self-winding flyback chronograph good for a 70-hour power reserve. The rose gold rotor and the finishing across the bridges are what you want to see on a watch at this level. The back is engraved "Royal Oak Offshore" around the movement.
The self-winding flyback chronograph through the sapphire caseback.
Bracelet and Interchangeable Strap
The steel bracelet carries the Offshore theme with thick, rounded links that feel as substantial as the case. It runs on AP's interchangeable strap system, so you can swap the bracelet for the blue rubber strap that ships with the watch without tools. The bracelet closes on an AP folding clasp.
Thick, rounded steel links carry the Offshore look through the bracelet.
On the Wrist
At 42mm with that 50.6mm lug-to-lug, it wears like a proper sports chronograph. It is bold without being obnoxious, mostly because the dial stays one color instead of the high-contrast ceramic-and-rubber combinations you see on some other Offshores. It has real presence, but it is more controlled than the loudest pieces in the family, which makes it easier to reach for day to day.
A serious wrist presence that still sits comfortably at 42mm.
Specifications
| Reference | 26238ST.OO.2000ST.01 |
| Case | Stainless steel, 42mm |
| Lug-to-lug | 50.6mm |
| Thickness | 15.3mm listed; about 15.8mm on our calipers |
| Weight | 250.7g on our scale |
| Water resistance | 100 meters |
| Dial | Blue petite tapisserie |
| Movement | In-house Caliber 4404, self-winding flyback chronograph |
| Power reserve | 70 hours |
| Crystal / caseback | Sapphire, with sapphire display caseback |
| Bracelet | Steel bracelet plus interchangeable blue rubber strap |
Availability at Watches Off 5th
We have this Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph, reference 26238ST.OO.2000ST.01, available pre-owned. If you want more photos or want to talk through the details, the listing is right here.
FAQ
What is the Audemars Piguet reference 26238ST?
It is the stainless steel Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph, full reference 26238ST.OO.2000ST.01. It carries a 42mm case, a blue petite tapisserie dial, and a modern in-house flyback chronograph movement, with styling that draws on the original 1993 Offshore known as "the beast."
How big and how heavy is the 26238ST?
The case measures 42mm across with a 50.6mm lug-to-lug. AP lists the thickness at 15.3mm; our calipers read closer to 15.8mm. On our scale the watch came in at 250.7 grams, about half a pound, so it wears with serious presence.
Does the Royal Oak Offshore 26238ST have a display caseback?
Yes. It has a sapphire display caseback that shows the finished movement and the rose gold rotor. The back is engraved "Royal Oak Offshore" around the movement.
Does it come with the rubber strap?
Yes. The watch uses AP's interchangeable strap system, so the steel bracelet swaps out for the included blue rubber strap without tools. The bracelet closes on an AP folding clasp.