I really wanted to share my recent and very personal experience acquiring my first AP - the Royal Oak Offshore Diver 15720st.
I know the whole "building a relationship" with an AP boutique can get a bad rap. People often feel like they're being played or taken for a ride in the allocation game. But for me, this experience was the complete opposite. It was genuinely positive and left me feeling valued—like I had truly made a friend at a time I needed one.
This feeling really put a certain watch-buying philosophy to the test for me, one I heard a while back: "Before you buy a watch, ask yourself: If no one else ever knew I owned this, would I still want it?" With this AP, the answer was an immediate, resounding yes. It's the same reason I've always been drawn to the Code 11.59, even when some dismiss it as an "allocation piece." I genuinely love its design, the details, the finishing, and that incredible curved sapphire crystal. It's also the same reason I've always been drawn to Audemars Piguet in the first place: their willingness to be different and take risks, their indifference to negative comments when striving for what they believe in, their pursuit of excellence in savoir-faire, and their brand connections with art and music all parallel perfectly with my interests and beliefs. Just as the saying goes, it's about buying what speaks to you, not what others value.
The Royal Oak Offshore was also a collection I genuinely fell in love with the moment I tried it on, even more so than the Royal Oak collection. As someone with a larger wrist and always a casual outfit, its presence is just perfect—substantial and confident without being overwhelming. It just felt right. But this watch is more than just a watch for me. I bought it to mark a terrifying and pivotal moment in life: my battle with cancer. In that sense, it’s my "cancer watch." It's not overtly flashy, but it serves as a constant, tangible reminder of the fragility and preciousness of life. It’s my symbol of the fight.
I know some might say: "You could have saved a lot by going grey," or, "It's an entry-level AP, what's the big deal?" But I’m definitely not a whale spending hundreds of thousands on watches every year. For me, each timepiece is a chapter in my life. It's an experience, a milestone. I was more than willing to pay the boutique price for the incredible service, the "emotional value," and the profound personal meaning the watch holds. Isn't that what this hobby is all about? The joy the watch itself brings you, and the story it tells on your wrist.
To Audemars Piguet, thank you. In one of the most vulnerable moments of my life, you provided a sense of comfort, recognition, courage, and a feeling of friendship. I hope you'll be there to celebrate many more of life's milestones with me.
Thanks for reading.
I know the whole "building a relationship" with an AP boutique can get a bad rap. People often feel like they're being played or taken for a ride in the allocation game. But for me, this experience was the complete opposite. It was genuinely positive and left me feeling valued—like I had truly made a friend at a time I needed one.
This feeling really put a certain watch-buying philosophy to the test for me, one I heard a while back: "Before you buy a watch, ask yourself: If no one else ever knew I owned this, would I still want it?" With this AP, the answer was an immediate, resounding yes. It's the same reason I've always been drawn to the Code 11.59, even when some dismiss it as an "allocation piece." I genuinely love its design, the details, the finishing, and that incredible curved sapphire crystal. It's also the same reason I've always been drawn to Audemars Piguet in the first place: their willingness to be different and take risks, their indifference to negative comments when striving for what they believe in, their pursuit of excellence in savoir-faire, and their brand connections with art and music all parallel perfectly with my interests and beliefs. Just as the saying goes, it's about buying what speaks to you, not what others value.
The Royal Oak Offshore was also a collection I genuinely fell in love with the moment I tried it on, even more so than the Royal Oak collection. As someone with a larger wrist and always a casual outfit, its presence is just perfect—substantial and confident without being overwhelming. It just felt right. But this watch is more than just a watch for me. I bought it to mark a terrifying and pivotal moment in life: my battle with cancer. In that sense, it’s my "cancer watch." It's not overtly flashy, but it serves as a constant, tangible reminder of the fragility and preciousness of life. It’s my symbol of the fight.
I know some might say: "You could have saved a lot by going grey," or, "It's an entry-level AP, what's the big deal?" But I’m definitely not a whale spending hundreds of thousands on watches every year. For me, each timepiece is a chapter in my life. It's an experience, a milestone. I was more than willing to pay the boutique price for the incredible service, the "emotional value," and the profound personal meaning the watch holds. Isn't that what this hobby is all about? The joy the watch itself brings you, and the story it tells on your wrist.
To Audemars Piguet, thank you. In one of the most vulnerable moments of my life, you provided a sense of comfort, recognition, courage, and a feeling of friendship. I hope you'll be there to celebrate many more of life's milestones with me.
Thanks for reading.
