Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph "Panda" Luxury Watch Review

http://www.thewatchbox.com Here's a rare beast. While the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph is familiar to luxury watch collectors, the finest of the 120+ species (really) of this watch amount to perhaps a dozen models. The Royal Oak Offshore "Panda" stands among the apex predators. Launched in 2008 as one of the original "Themes" models, the Panda plucked collector heartstrings with its classic red/black/silver tricolor combo. Almost like a Paul Newman Daytona on steroids, synthetic testosterone, and Lance Armstrong's personal blend, the Panda cuts a profile that's simultaneously timeless and contemporary. Collectors who love big watches cannot do any better than this. While other brands trade traditional craft content for visual impact and profit margin, Audemars Piguet continues to construct the Royal Oak Offshore using the same old world diligence as its original Gerald Genta Royal Oak. Hand-polished movements, dials turned on 19th century-style pantograph tables, and laboriously finished case components (and the Offshore has many) are the eternal hallmark of the original oversized sports watch. While many have done their best to emulate the Offshore, these efforts amount to shadows of the original. When it comes time to throw down and show the cards, the only extrovert sports watch with the substance to match its styles wears "AP" on its dial. This Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore "Panda" is available from thewatchbox.com in outstanding condition. W