25844, ROYAL OAK OFFSHORE HAUTE JOAILLERIE
1998. Royal Oak Offshore Haute Joaillerie Chronograph 25844BC no. 13. Chronograph, date. Selfwinding Calibre 2126/2840, original Movement 429554, replaced by 495600. 42 mm Case D91721 in 18K white gold set with 584 diamonds. Sold in the United States in December 1998. Documented as 25721BC and 25844BC (Case Register). Auctioned by Christie’s Geneva on May 9, 2022, lot 138 © Christie’s Geneva.
Circa 1997. Identification photograph of the Royal Oak Offshore Haute Joaillerie 25844BC. First gemset Royal Oak Offshore. Audemars Piguet Archives.
1997. Technical data for the Royal Oak Offshore Haute Joaillerie 25844BC. Audemars Piguet Archives.
Circa 1996. Technical data for the Royal Oak Offshore Haute Joaillerie 25844BA. Audemars Piguet Archives.
1996. Technical data for the Royal Oak Offshore. Audemars Piguet Archives.
Circa 2009. Identification photograph of Model 25844BA. Audemars Piguet Archives.
1997. Arnold Schwarzenegger. When he visited the Manufacture Audemars Piguet in a private capacity, the American superstar discovered the Royal Oak Offshore high jewellery. Audemars Piguet Archives.
Model 25844 is an Haute Joaillerie interpretation of the first Royal Oak Offshore 25721BC. In addition to its exceptional size (42 mm) and extreme weight (approx. 400 grams), it features more than 580 diamonds totalling over 12 carats.
In 12 years, only six of these watches are documented in the Production Registers. Five are in white gold and only one in yellow gold. It is worth nothing that while the technical archives of the yellow gold version date back to 1996, the only sale identified in the Production Registers was in 2009. In addition, there are an unknown number of units described as Model 25721 in the Production Registers, but later changed to 25844, as in the case of the watch auctioned in Geneva by Christie's in May 2022 (see illustration).
Christoph Guhl, who began his watchmaking career with Audemars Piguet in 1983, recalls accompanying Arnold Schwarzenegger in autumn 1997 when he visited the Le Brassus workshops. The American superstar had come to take delivery of a full-set white gold Royal Oak Offshore. A photograph taken on this occasion shows a Royal Oak Offshore that may well be the first 25844BC.
25844BC (white gold). Sales from 1997 to 2002: a total of 5 units, of which 1 (1997), 2 (2001 and 2 (2002).
25844BA (yellow gold). Sales in 2009: a total of 1.
Derived from Model 25721. See also 25894,
Model 25844 is an Haute Joaillerie interpretation of the first Royal Oak Offshore 25721BC. In addition to its exceptional size (42 mm) and extreme weight (approx. 400 grams), it features more than 580 diamonds totalling over 12 carats.
In 12 years, only six of these watches are documented in the Production Registers. Five are in white gold and only one in yellow gold. It is worth nothing that while the technical archives of the yellow gold version date back to 1996, the only sale identified in the Production Registers was in 2009. In addition, there are an unknown number of units described as Model 25721 in the Production Registers, but later changed to 25844, as in the case of the watch auctioned in Geneva by Christie's in May 2022 (see illustration).
Christoph Guhl, who began his watchmaking career with Audemars Piguet in 1983, recalls accompanying Arnold Schwarzenegger in autumn 1997 when he visited the Le Brassus workshops. The American superstar had come to take delivery of a full-set white gold Royal Oak Offshore. A photograph taken on this occasion shows a Royal Oak Offshore that may well be the first 25844BC.
25844BC (white gold). Sales from 1997 to 2002: a total of 5 units, of which 1 (1997), 2 (2001 and 2 (2002).
25844BA (yellow gold). Sales in 2009: a total of 1.
Derived from Model 25721. See also 25894,
