Audemars Piquet Launches Jarno Trulli Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph

The fierce competition that’s been lasting for decades between Swiss watchmakers Hublot and Audemars Piquet is best reflected in their product portfolios. The latter has just launched a Formula One-inspired timepiece of its own, shortly after Hublot has has acquired the license for official F1 watches.

The special edition Royal Oak Offshore is named after Italian racing driver Jarno Trulli, who is also a brand ambassador since 2008.

The newly released chronograph comes with a carbon-fiber case, ceramic bezel and titanium fixtures, accompanied by a sporty rubber strap. A transparent caseback allows a perfect view of the beautiful AP Calibre 3126/3840 in-house movement.

Like all AP Calibre 3126 movements, this has a 22K gold oscillating weight, however, instead of rose gold, this one has an anthracite grey galvanic coating. The movement has 365 parts, 59 jewels and a 60-hour power reserve.

The dial is anthracite grey with exclusive "Mega Tapisserie" motif, which matches the anthracite grey rotor. The dial also features silvered counters, applied hour markers and hands in white gold with red luminescent coating and a silvered inner bezel ring.

According to Audemars Piquet, there will only be 500 Jarno Trulli Royal Oak Offshore wristwatches made (just like the Hublot F1 King Power watch), initially available in Japan and released worldwide by the end of the year. Pricing rests at $28,900.

“Celebrating the partnership established between Audemars Piguet and the Italian champion in 2008, the new Royal Oak Offshore Jarno Trulli Chronograph embodies the values shared by the racing driver and the Manufacture: a passion for perfection and precision, coupled with an obstinate determination to maintain high standards. For Jarno Trulli, these values are conveyed through the excellence he displays in his career as a racing driver, a daily experience that leaves no room for rough estimates, but is instead governed by the rigorous precision that makes all the difference,” stated the press release.