AUDEMARS PIGUET Royal Oak Offshore The Beast, WHITE GOLD
When Audemars Piguet unveiled the Royal Oak Offshore in 1993, the watch world was divided. At 42 mm, with a 14 mm case thickness and an oversized crown protector, it was everything the original Royal Oak was not: loud, confrontational, and deliberately excessive. Its nickname, "The Beast", was not a compliment when it was first coined. Within a decade, it had become a badge of honour. The Reference 25721BC in 18k white gold is the rarest configuration of the first-generation Offshore ever produced: according to Audemars Piguet's own records, only 21 examples were sold between 1996 and 2003, distributed across seven years of production. This is one of them.
The production breakdown of the 25721BC, as documented by Audemars Piguet, is as follows: 9 pieces in 1996, 3 in 1997, 2 in 1998, 4 in 1999, 2 in 2001, and 1 in 2003. The total of 21 units makes this the rarest metal variant of the first-generation Offshore by a significant margin: steel production ran into the thousands, and even the most limited precious metal variants were produced in far greater numbers. To put it plainly, there are fewer 25721BC examples in existence than there are days in most months.
The Caliber 2226/2840, based on the Jaeger-LeCoultre 889, was the movement that powered the original Offshore from its introduction. In white gold, paired with a blue dial set with diamond indices, the watch achieves something the steel version never could: it transforms the deliberate aggression of "The Beast" into an object of genuine luxury, without softening its character in the slightest. The original box confirms that this example has been preserved with the care its rarity demands.
Key Specifications
Reference
25721BC
Year
1996
Case
18k white gold, 42 mm, integrated crown protector
Dial
Blue with diamond-set hour indices
Movement
Automatic, Cal. 2226/2840 (base JLC 889), chronograph, 38-hour power reserve
Functions
Hours, minutes, seconds, date, chronograph
Bracelet
18k white gold integrated bracelet
Total production
21 examples (per AP records, 1996 to 2003)
Accessories
Original Audemars Piguet box
Collector's Note
Why Buy From Us
Audemars Piguet
25721BC
1996
Blue
Automatic
42mm
Offshore
White gold
Index Diamond
Gold
Yes










