Description
Born from the German market’s demand for a watch that embodied the “Offshore spirit” and the desire to revitalize the Royal Oak collection, the 25721 caused a sensation when it was presented at the Baselworld 1993. At the time, the average size for men’s watches was around 36 mm, and at 42 mm in diameter and 14.05 mm thick, the first Royal Oak Offshore stood out, not least for the prominent waterproof seal protruding from the bezel. It also cost approximately twice as much as a classic Royal Oak, partly due to the extremely complex case, water-resistant to 100 meters, and partly due to the self-winding chronograph caliber, a first for the Royal Oak family.
During its early years, it attracted a very small circle of customers, mostly young and primarily from Italy, who paved the way for its success. Since 1995, it has been available in precious materials and the following year it was enriched with women’s models, others in smaller dimensions and variants with a leather strap, followed later by versions with a rubber strap and limited editions. In the 2000s, the collection became so important that sales surpassed those of the Royal Oak. The watch offered here is a ref. 25721ST from 2005 with a steel case and bracelet and a “tropical” dial with a Petite Tapisserie motif, which features a beautiful shift towards champagne hues. The case has the classic dimensions of the reference in question, 42 x 14.05 mm and houses the automatic AP 2126/2840 caliber, developed on the Jaeger-LeCoultre 889 base, which beats 21,600 vibrations per hour and provides a 45-hour power reserve. The watch is in excellent overall condition and is sold complete with all its original accessories.