“I discovered the world of Audemars Piguet around 15 years ago after being introduced to the brand by Jean Todt when he was team principal at Scuderia Ferrari.

By then, I had already appreciated how watches were interlinked to the world of car racing, but it was not until that point I realized that the products of Audemars Piguet, especially the Royal Oak, are particularly highly prized by drivers.

From that day on I have been a huge fan of Audemars Piguet and am consistently impressed by the combination of design, hand craftsmanship, functionality and innovation which marks its watches out from the rest. It’s a real honour to have been involved in the creation of this special model of the Royal Oak Offshore and a privilege to lend my name to it.”

Now the two worlds come together in a special edition of the Royal Oak Offshore dedicated to the man regarded as the greatest race car driver of all time - Michael Schumacher. Winner of a record seven world championship titles, Michael Schumacher has achieved more race victories, more pole positions and scored more points than any other driver in the history of his sport.

Michael Schumacher was personally involved in the creation of the watch which bears his name, working closely with Audemars Piguet’s Chief Artistic Officer, Octavio Garcia. Applying the same, rigorous standards to the project which he applies to his profession, he immersed himself in making a watch which follows the Royal Oak Offshore’s heritage of functionality and aesthetics while incorporating pointers to a remarkable life behind the wheel.

"The performance of each component relates directly to that of another. This means that, in both cases, it is necessary to strive for daring solutions which result in greater functionality," says Michael.

The Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph Michael Schumacher was designed in direct collaboration with the legendary driver who fully immersed himself in the project, often marvelling at the innovative solutions developed by Audemars Piguet’s engineers.

A long-time admirer of the Royal Oak Offshore, Michael has always appreciated its unique and innovative design as well as its craftsmanship and functionality. By working closely with the team involved in the Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph Michael Schumacher he was able to understand the challenges of developing a watch which is not only distinctive but also attractive, robust, functional and comfortable to wear.

Engineered by Audemars Piguet to the exacting standards of the world’s most successful race car driver, the Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph Michael Schumacher features an imposing, 44 mm case which is available in 1,000 pieces made from titanium; 500 pieces made from 18 carat pink gold and 100 pieces made from platinum 950.

The anthracite grey dial, decorated with the Royal Oak Offshore’s famous " Mega Tapisserie " pattern, is subtly marked at the circumference of the tachymetre scale between the 12 and one positions with two blue and five red stars symbolising the driver’s record seven championship victories, two driving for Benetton in 1994 and 1995 and five driving for Ferrari from 2000 - 2004.

The minute track, meanwhile, is depicted with a discreet, black and white pattern evoking the design of a chequered flag and the galvanic chronograph counters (black on the titanium and pink gold editions, blue on the platinum edition) feature raised frames based on the dashboard instruments of a high-performance car.

The automotive imagery is further extended to the hour and minute hands which are of a form never before seen. Made from facetted gold with a white luminescent coating, they are loosely inspired by the silhouette of a racing car’s monocoque. The red-lacquered chronograph hands that complement them have been designed with especially blackened heads in order to help focus the eye on the indication and, for the first time ever on a Royal Oak Offshore, the date display is also in red.

Although the Royal Oak Offshore’s instantly recognisable shape is retained, the case material and details of the Michael Schumacher limited edition are specific to this watch. The one-piece, octagonal bezel is made from ultra-resistant Cermet, a material that is seven times more durable than steel and secured with eight automotive-style domed and inset nuts.

The specially - designed rubber strap - grey on titanium and pink gold editions, blue on the platinum edition - is attached by microblasted, satin-brushed titanium studs which emulate a racing car’s cooling scoops, while the microblasted crown (made from either titanium, pink gold or white gold) is machined to resemble a gear wheel and adorned with a red anodised, aluminium plate carrying the Audemars Piguet logo. Microblasted titanium guards protect the polished black ceramic pushpieces, which are topped with caps of either titanium, white or pink gold.


Turning the watch over reveals a minimalist caseback, loosely based on the look of a race car’s wheel spokes and fitted with a sapphire crystal centre which allows the superb, 365-part, selfwinding calibre 3126/3840 of the Royal Oak Chronograph Michael Schumacher to be seen to the full.

The design of the oscillating weight takes inspiration from the race track - its two cut-outs are based directly on the aerodynamic "NACA" ducts seen on high performance cars.

In keeping with the sophisticated finishing techniques applied to the outside of the watch (which is variously polished, microblasted, satin brushed and anodised - much like an automobile engine), the movement is decorated to the typically high standards for which Audemars Piguet has become renowned: a circular-grained mainplate; bridges which are rhodiumed, hand-bevelled, snailed and adorned with Côtes de Genève and jewel-sinks which are diamond-polished.

Michael Schumacher was born on January 3^rd, 1969 and began his motorsport career as a boy, racing karts. By the age of 20 he had won German drivers’ championships in both Formula Konig and Formula Three, before being signed as a driver for Benetton Formula One in 1991. He won his first two world championships for the team in 1994 and 1995 before moving to Ferrari in 1996, with which he won five consecutive drivers titles between 2000 and 2004.

His records include
The greatest number of World Championship wins - 7
The greatest number of Grand Prix victories - 91
The greatest number of victories in a single season - 13 in 2004
The greatest number of pole positions - 68
The greatest number of podium finishes - 155
The greatest number of fastest laps recorded in a single Grand Prix – 76