Credits: Article and images by Alexey Kutkovoy @ Quill & Pad. See the original article here - https://quillandpad.com/2023/12/25/30th-anniversary-of-the-audemars-piguet-royal-oak-offshore-tourbillon-plus-chronograph/
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Perhaps an even bigger surprise was the release of the ROO Tourbillon Chronograph with a unique configuration in 2017, commissioned by the Ali Bin Ali company from Qatar.
![](https://wristnews.com/storage/2023/12/2017-Audemars-Piguet_ROO-TChr-Ali-Bin-Ali-26348IO.OO_.A002CA.01.jpg)
![](https://wristnews.com/storage/2023/12/2017-Audemars-Piguet_ROO-TChr-Ali-Bin-Ali-26348IO.OO_.A002CA.01.jpg)
2017: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Tourbillon Chronograph Openworked ‘Ali Bin Ali’ Ref. 26348IO.OO.A002CA.01, fourth generation. Titanium, diameter 44 mm, ceramic bezel, ceramic crown and chronograph pushers. Caliber 2936 with manual winding (LE 20 pieces)
For this, a skeletonized caliber 2936 (hand-wound, 72-hour power reserve), previously used in Royal Oak and Jules Audemars watches, was used in a titanium ROO with a black ceramic bezel proposing the unique skeletonization pattern.
The surprise remained a surprise – only 20 examples of the ROO “Ali Bin Ali”, the fourth-generation tourbillon chronograph, were produced.
![](https://wristnews.com/storage/2023/12/2017-dec-Audemars-Piguet_ROO-TChr-25ans.jpg)
![](https://wristnews.com/storage/2023/12/2017-dec-Audemars-Piguet_ROO-TChr-25ans.jpg)
2017: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Tourbillon Chronograph Ref. 26407BA.OO.A002CA.01, third generation. Yellow gold, diameter 44 mm, ceramic crown and chronograph pushers. Caliber 2943 with manual winding
The 25th anniversary of the Royal Oak Offshore collection was celebrated with the release of two special anniversary models of the Royal Oak Offshore Tourbillon Chronograph 25th Anniversary, representing the fifth generation of ROO Tourbillon Chronographs. The watch proved to be extremely remarkable; a new case design was developed for it that had never been used before or since in the ROO collection.
One of the main differences from the models of previous generations is immediately noticeable – this is the mounting of the movement inside the case. The main thing in the new design is obvious: it is the screws for fixing the bezel, a structural and design element of the RO invented by Gérald Genta, which have now been given a different function – to hold the caliber.
What was outside is now inside. The screw heads, which are hexagonal on the front of the case and round on the back, are located under the crystals protecting the dial and caseback. The formerly wide bezel of the ROO becomes very thin here and shifts the focus from the massive case of the ROO to the complicated and skeletonized movement.
The simplification of the case design goes hand in hand with the complex shape of the two crystals, which now repeat the shape of the ROO bezel – watch manufacturers rarely opt for such a complex design, which incurs additional costs.
The hand-wound caliber 2947, the movement of this watch, is based on the same caliber 2912 tourbillon chronograph of the first-generation ROO Tourbillon Chronograph, but the power reserve has been reduced by about a quarter compared to 2912 to a guaranteed 173 hours.
The redesigned case makes the skeletonized movement appear to float in the case, further enhancing the impression of this ROO, one of the most extraordinary and unusual members of the collection.
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Credits: Article and images by Alexey Kutkovoy @ Quill & Pad. See the original article here - https://quillandpad.com/2023/12/25/30th-anniversary-of-the-audemars-piguet-royal-oak-offshore-tourbillon-plus-chronograph/