Unboxing the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph 26420SO
The steel Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph is one of the AP models we get asked about most. This one is the reference 26420SO, a 43mm steel chronograph with a black ceramic bezel and a black Méga Tapisserie dial. We took this example in unworn, full set with the original box and papers. Here is a full look at it, inside and out.
Watch the full unboxing
Table of Contents
The Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph 26420SO in steel with a black ceramic bezel.
A 43mm Offshore in Steel and Ceramic
The 26420SO keeps the Royal Oak signatures: the octagonal bezel, the eight hexagonal screws, and the mix of brushed and polished surfaces on the case. The case is stainless steel, and the bezel here is black ceramic, which shrugs off the scuffs that steel picks up. The crown is screw-locked and carries the AP logo, and it sits between two rectangular chronograph pushers. This is built to be worn hard.
The screw-locked crown sits between two rectangular chronograph pushers on the brushed steel case.
The Black Méga Tapisserie Dial
The dial is black with the oversized Méga Tapisserie waffle pattern, and it gives the watch real depth up close. The markers and hands are white gold with a luminescent coating, so it stays legible. A red-tipped central hand runs the chronograph seconds. There are three silver sub-dials: a 30-minute counter at nine o'clock and a 12-hour counter at three o'clock, with a small running seconds at six o'clock and a date window down at four-thirty. A tachymeter scale rings the inner flange, and the AP signature sits below twelve.
Black Méga Tapisserie dial with silver sub-dials, applied white-gold markers, and a red-tipped chronograph hand.
Inside: The Calibre 4401
Powering it is the in-house Calibre 4401, an automatic chronograph movement you can see through the sapphire caseback. It runs an integrated flyback chronograph with column-wheel architecture, so you can reset and restart the timer in one push without stopping it first. Power reserve is 70 hours, and water resistance is rated to 100 meters. The openworked rotor carries the AP logo, and the caseback ring is engraved "Royal Oak Offshore."
The in-house Calibre 4401 seen through the sapphire caseback, with the openworked AP rotor.
On the Wrist
This wears exactly like an Offshore should: big and planted. It measures 43mm across, about 14.5mm thick, and lug-to-lug came in right around 52.6mm on our calipers. On the rubber strap it carries real heft, so you feel it there. The lugs curve down and hold the case in place, which keeps a watch this size manageable. The host in the video pegged his own wrist at seven inches, and it looked at home.
Lug-to-lug measured right around 52.6mm on our calipers.
The 43mm case sits planted, with the curved lugs keeping it in place.
The Rubber Strap and the Box
It comes on a black rubber strap with a polished steel folding clasp, which is where an Offshore belongs for summer and weekend wear. The rubber is easy to wipe down and comfortable in heat. The watch arrives in the Audemars Piguet green presentation box with its papers. AP does not publish US retail, and steel Offshore chronographs are hard to buy at a boutique, so most change hands on the secondary market, which is where we work. We have this unworn example ready to go.
The black rubber strap with a polished steel folding clasp.
Delivered in the Audemars Piguet presentation box with papers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What movement is in the Royal Oak Offshore 26420SO?
It runs the in-house Calibre 4401, an automatic flyback chronograph with column-wheel construction. The flyback lets you reset and restart the timer in a single push. It carries a 70-hour power reserve and you can watch it work through the sapphire caseback.
How big is the 26420SO on the wrist?
The case is 43mm wide and about 14.5mm thick. Lug-to-lug measured about 52.6mm on our calipers. It wears big and planted, with curved lugs that help it settle.
Does the 26420SO have a display caseback?
Yes. It has a sapphire caseback, so the Calibre 4401 and its openworked AP rotor are visible from the back. The caseback ring is engraved "Royal Oak Offshore." Water resistance is still rated to 100 meters.
Is the bezel ceramic?
Yes. The 26420SO pairs a stainless steel case with a black ceramic bezel, and AP designates this steel-and-ceramic version with the "SO" code. Ceramic resists scratches better than steel, so the bezel keeps its finish through daily use.