Descrizione

Technically, this watch is called the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore 26170ST.OO.D101CR.01. But nobody calls it that. It’s the “Volcano,” and for a watch born amid the economic near-death trauma of 2008, the name fits. While the world burned on the brink of a mortgage-fueled apocalypse, the final exuberant outbursts of the decade’s luxury watch bumper crop arrived amid the chaos. The 48mm Hublot King Power, the outrageous AP Offshore “Survivor” hit the scene, and Rolex started teasing its 44mm DeepSea Sea-Dweller just as the TARP hit the fan. The Volcano remains the valedictorian of that ill-timed class. Like the Duesenbergs of the Great Depression and the classic rock of the 1970s malaise, AP’s incendiary iteration of the Offshore promises to be one of the few nostalgia touchstones of a fraught era. Audemars Piguet dodged the bullet of instant obsolescence by staying true to the core formula for the Royal Oak Offshore’s success; rugged good looks, an irrepressible sense of fun, and haute horlogerie virtue to back the style with substance. Take one look at the Volcano, and you can’t help but smile. The explosive contrast of the fulminating facade instantly distinguishes this watch from the mass of sports models playing to the oversize luxury watch market. It’s even a standout among other AP Offshores. While the litany of celebrity-branded limited editions and boutique editions can tax even the most expansive memory bank, the Volcano is one of the few Offshores that always receives its compliments by name. Despite the magnetic pull and instant visibility of the orange rehaut, numerals, and hands, the Volcano presents as an extreme watch with exceptional balance. Like an Italian supercar, it wears its outrageous style with panache, and it offers no apologies for making a statement. Volcano is the name of the watch, and contrast is the name of the game. A black AP “mega tapisserie” waffle pattern dial offers an ideal springboard for the electrifying tones of the hands, numerals, and chronograph sub dials. Legibility is excellent, but the visual impact of this dial continues to register far beyond the arm’s-length viewing arc of its owner. The Volcano’s tri-color aesthetic is like a beacon for attention. Whereas many over sized watches have begun to lose their definition and nuance to the “murdered” monotone look of recent vogue, the Audemars Piguet Volcano boasts sharp detailing and artful articulation. Within the bezel, eight polished white gold bolts radiate ambient light with the effect of inset diamonds. The flow from black dial to orange rehaut to brushed stainless steel to the two-tone hornback alligator strap keeps visual appeal intense and expresses the striking forms of the Offshore case with force. On its flanks, the Volcano sports the calling cards that made AP’s Offshore a game-changer in the sports watch sector. Like a Bauhaus project, the Volcano leaves its functional elements exposed; the rubber gasket between the steel bezel and case hammers home AP’s machine age design ethic. On the crown side, the Offshore’s signature silicone-coated pushers and matching crown wrap continues the pattern of material audacity. Before the Offshore, nobody put silicone on a luxury watch; now, everyone offers a rendition of this style. But you can’t beat the real thing. And Audemars Piguet keeps it real. Within the massive steel case beats a manufacture movement exclusive to Audemars Piguet. While competitors in the oversize luxury sports watch market take the shortest route to market and buy outsourced movements, AP endowed each Volcano with an in-house pedigree. The Caliber 3126 base movement is a work of art that embodies the best of AP’s engineering know-how and fine finishing savoir-faire. With a power reserve of 55 hours, it can run long after the industry-standard 42-hour watch has fallen silent. Automatic winding via ceramic rotor bearings adds refinement and reduces maintenance requirements. Because a true precision instrument should be set with accuracy to match, AP includes a stop-seconds (hacking) device to allow perfect synchronization to a reference time. This is a tough movement designed to elevate the artisan-grade workmanship of AP to Rolex levels of durability. As such, the 3126 adds a full balance bridge, free-sprung balance, and a screwed down regulator. Why bother? In a word, toughness. While lesser timepieces make like Pompeii, the Volcano can stand the heat. Craft beauty is another key to the Volcano’s enduring appeal. While other watchmakers rushed their me-too efforts to capitalize on the big-watch boom, AP stayed true to its haut-de-gamme roots. The 3126/3840 isn’t just tough; it’s eye candy. A sign of ultimate integrity, AP dedicates exhaustive effort to decorating the movement to a standard that far exceeds the norm of the industry – especially for a watch without a display caseback. Inside the steel vessel, a poem in brass, 22-karat gold, and rubies sings its verses at a 21,600 VpH cadence. The winding rotor, so thoughtfully suspended on high-tech ceramic, bears both the Audemars and Piguet family crests. It’s engraved with excruciating attention to detail. Every plate, bridge, and lever is rhodium-coated to a brilliant sheen and dressed with drawn, beveled, and brushed finish worthy of an investment-grade timepiece. Contrasting dressage graining, Côtes de Geneve waves, and pegwood-etched scallops of perlage have been lavished on every surface.