Replica Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Update

The Royal Oak Offshore (ROO) from Audemars Piguet has long been a favorite watch in the replica collector community.  It's replicas have been riddled with flaws and quality concerns for years.

Recently the replica watch manufacturers have stepped up and improved on the design of the ROO significantly.  Two of the major flaws that have existed in the watch (missing or incorrect date cyclops and second hand not running at 12-o'clock, but incorrectly at 9 o'clock) have been corrected in the latest version.  It runs a modified Asian 7750 movement with an extra module to reposition the second hand to 12.  Such modifications are typically rife with problems, affecting the lifespan of the movement.  This particular mod seems to have an added jewel to help in this regard, but the jury is still out on how reliable it is.

Several flaws still exist, such as the silver around the date and the incorrect numerals on the dial (missing lume completely, and they should have metal surrounds).  Lume in general is replica-bad.

Priced at $600 it seems typical of the new crop of "1:1" replicas that are starting to become more and more common.  There are rumors of a "cartel" that keeps the prices high in an attempt to maximize profits.  Only "cartel" dealers seem to have access to these higher-end watches.