Audemars Piguet certainly has delighted us through the years with very unique models from the Royal Oak Offshore.  Now two decades into the presence of the model line, certainly one of the most popular renditions continues to be Royal Oak Offshore Alinghi Polaris flyback chronograph (reference 26040ST.OO.D002CA.01).  This watch was released inside a special edition of 2000 pieces in the year 2006.  In the end may not consider 2000 pieces to be really “limited”, this remains this was a very popular edition, so that as evidence, we rarely check this out model offered within the secondary market.

Things I remain most impressed about using the Alinghi Polaris is AP’s development of a timing device that follows the guidelines specific towards the timing of the America’s Cup Regatta race.  Obviously, AP was the official sponsor of team Switzerland’s Alinghi boat.  However the watch wasn’t just designed following a boat, but particularly produced to become worn with a team member to watch the particular countdown just before the commencement from the race.

This special Offshore was installed in a stainless-steel situation and provided on the rubber strap with stainless deployant.

The situation middle is thicker than the usual standard Offshore chronograph situation.  We begin to see the inclusion of the additional crown at 10:00, accustomed to operate the interior flange.  This rotating device enables the individual to locate a person’s bearings based on the positioning of the sun.  Additionally, it doubles being an additional countdown device, because the graduated minute circle is labeled backwards order.  When used with the minute hands, it may be set to countdown a preferred quantity of minutes.

And today the good thing about the Regatta timing function.  Your window at 12 shows the final minute in what’s the traditional 10 minute countdown to start a regatta race. Then when you activate this chronograph from zero, a couple of unexpected things happen. The lengthy whitened needle starts to maneuver at normal pace counting seconds for that timing function (your continuous seconds counter is situated at 3:00). The lengthy red-colored need also starts to maneuver, but this can be a single minute counter. You then have a minute counter at 9:00 like other Offshores. Hrs are tabbed at 6:00. Returning towards the lengthy red-colored needle, every a minute it gets to a red-colored minute mark around the outer flange. Thus in ten minutes this hands is going to be to pointing upright at 12. The eliminate window includes a rotating disc below it. It turns black within the first minute of operation. Once the timing function reaches 9 minutes, your window gradually becomes red-colored again. Here’s where the most wonderful part of the Alinghi Polaris starts to occur. Once the timing function reaches ten minutes, you’ve 2 hands and also the disc perfectly synchronize at 12. The faster moving whitened hands sweeps within the red-colored hands, and also at the instant your window becomes all red-colored.

Within the following photo, the timing function is going ahead, and we’re about 45 seconds in.   Note the red-colored hands is all about 3/4 of how towards the one minute tick mark around the circular red-colored track.

Even nearer to about a minute now – about 54 seconds, as shown by the whitened needle.  The red-colored needle almost to that particular one minute mark, and a little bit of red-colored left showing with the aperture at 12, which is an all-black costume in another 6 seconds.

The next photo shows us approximately 4 minutes into timing.  Note the disc at 12 is black, and it’ll remain this way until we pass 9 minutes, after which the red-colored will start showing around the left side until it entirely fills your window once the past time reaches ten minutes.

The caseback from the Alinghi Polaris featured an awesome carving of the wind rose.  The solid back also adds towards the antimagnetic protection offered in other solid caseback Offshores.

A couple of additional features get this to Offshore a little diverse from other models.  The dial design is clearly specific towards the functions; however the numbers and curved “Audemars Piguet” at 12 are super special.  The timepiece doesn’t have to start dating? Function.  Given all the specific timing information that it shows for any Regatta race, it had been the ideal choice to omit this customary Offshore function.  The timepiece also shows the counters inside a 3-6-9 arrangement instead of the 6-9-12 most Offshores have.  Lastly, the moment counter at 9:00 is damaged into twenty minutes rather than 30, and also the hour counter at 6:00 logs 6 hrs rather than 12.

Considering many of these special features, you can easily make a disagreement for that Alinghi Polaris to be the most original chronograph Offshore AP has offered. In the end would begin to see the envelope pressed further using the 2007 forged carbon Alinghi Team Chronograph, I usually felt this model was more special because of its function-first design. Undoubtedly, I miss possessing this watch, and aspire to reacquire it when it’s about time.

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