Audemars Piguet 15710

This Royal Oak Offshore model was replaced by the 15720 references in 2021, but it remains an incredibly popular option for collectors and anyone seeking a piece of horological history from the Swiss powerhouse. Its discontinuation has contributed to even higher values on the secondary market, and it stands out as a solid investment.

Complete with desirable features like an elapsed time inner bezel, two functional crowns, 300 meters of water resistance, and an exquisite sapphire crystal display caseback, the Audemars Piguet 15710 is the gold standard of diving watches. It ushered in a new era of successful diving watches for the Swiss brand, and it stands out as an ideal choice for anyone hoping to add an Audemars Piguet diving watch to their collection. Sturdy and substantial, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore 15710 is a watch that can keep up with your every adventure.

History and Design of the Audemars Piguet 15710

The Royal Oak Offshore collection debuted in 1993, a whole 21 years after Audemars Piguet’s iconic Royal Oak line hit the market in 1972. The Quartz Crisis of the 1970s, during which Japanese watchmakers embraced quartz movements to the detriment of Swiss watch sales, battered the world of luxury horology. Audemars Piguet responded to this threat with the Royal Oak, a line of stainless steel sports watches at a luxury price point. Despite a slow start, this line has become the backbone of Audemars Piguet’s modern operations.

Twenty years after the debut of the Royal Oak, Audemars Piguet identified the need for a new take on their successful classic. Enter, the Royal Oak Offshore. This collection, which offered a sportier and more rugged take on the original Royal Oak, was meant to appeal to a younger audience looking for adventurous watches that could accompany them through any season of life. The Royal Oak Offshore switched out the classic metal bracelet for a durable rubber strap and sized up its case dimensions for a bold new aesthetic.

In 2010, Audemars Piguet introduced the first “diver” editions of the Royal Oak Offshore, beginning with the reference 15703ST. These watches evolved from earlier “scuba” editions of the Offshore, and they are notable for their lack of a chronograph function, which was a staple of the Royal Oak Offshore line from the get-go. The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore 15710 followed soon after, introduced in 2015 and remaining in production until 2021.

The Audemars Piguet 15710, like the brand’s previous diving watches, showcases the iconic Mega Tapisserie dial, luminescent hour markers, and a simple date and time display, with the date window at the 3 o’clock position. It offers an impressive 300 meters of water resistance, equivalent to just under 1,000 feet. These diver watches are visually distinguished from other Offshore models by their two crowns, one at 3 o’clock and one at 10 o’clock. The 3 o’clock crown is used for setting the time, while the 10 o’clock crown is used to control the watch’s inner bezel diving time function, which is made to help divers keep track of time elapsed while they are in the depths of the sea.

Despite its designation as a diving watch, the Audemars Piguet 15710 looks just as iconic on land as it does under the waves. It is easy to dress up or down and is the perfect accessory whether you are on the boat or in the boardroom. The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore 15710 reference followed the inaugural diver reference, the 15703, but it differentiated itself with the addition of a sapphire crystal caseback, allowing the wearer to take a look at the powerful Caliber 3120 housed inside. This added interest and value, and it also added about 1 mm of thickness to the case of this memorable and robust timepiece.

Key Royal Oak 15710 Variations

In its six years of production, the Audemars Piguet 15710 reference launched a number of different variants. The original release consisted of just two options: a stainless steel case with a white face and black rubber strap, or a stainless steel case with a black face and black rubber strap. Over the course of the next few years, Audemars Piguet released other color variations, including dial colours like green, blue, beige, yellow, silver, purple, and orange. Strap variations included blue, green, white, black, and orange.

The green dial variant (reference 15710ST.OO.A052CA.01) and the dark blue variant (reference 15710ST.OO.A027CA.01), which has sporty yellow accents, have proven to be the most popular options besides the original black and silvered white versions. Collectors and celebrities alike love the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore 15710, and A-listers like Serena Williams and John Mayer have been photographed wearing this versatile timepiece, further cementing its status as a coveted luxury watch of the modern era.

Royal Oak Offshore 15710 Features

When you are looking for an Audemars Piguet 15710 for sale, these are some of the features that help distinguish this important model from others in the same “diver watch” lineup.

Sapphire Crystal Caseback

Unlike its predecessor, the 15703ST, the Audemars Piguet 15710 has an exhibition caseback that gives the wearer a peek at the impressive Caliber 3120 within. This is the same caliber that powered the 1570X generation of Audemars Piguet diver watches, and the exposed caseback is the main differentiator between the look of these two lines (the 15703 had a closed caseback). The addition of the sapphire crystal caseback also added 4 grams of weight to the 15710 watch, although wearers report that you can barely feel the difference. Its total weight is 170 grams versus the 15703’s 166 grams.

Inner Bezel Time Elapsed Display

A hallmark of the Audemars Piguet 15710 (and many other diving watches) is the inner bezel, which can be used to display elapsed time. On the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore 15710, there is an additional crown at the 10 o’clock position which is used to operate this diving-centric inner bezel. While this is a useful feature for actual divers, as it helps them ensure they do not run out of oxygen under the sea, it can also be helpful as a timer in everyday life.

Simple Time and Date Dial

While there have been chronograph versions of Audemars Piguet’s diver watches, the 15710 is not one of them. This dial offers a simple time and date display, including a second hand. There is also a highly legible date display at the 3 o’clock position that tells you the day of the month. You will notice that the 15710 watch has index hour markers, which help keep the dial simple and readable and avoid overwhelming the eye since the inner bezel sports Arabic numerals for tracking elapsed time. These index hour markers are luminescent, making it easy to tell the time even in low-light conditions (such as diving scenarios).

Oversized Silhouette

Like most Royal Oak Offshore watches, the Audemars Piguet 15710 offers significant size. Its case measures 42 mm in diameter, which is actually smaller than some of its brother watches that hail from the same larger collection. Still, a 42 mm watch is considered large, and it is sure to make a statement on any wrist. The more substantial size is just one part of what sets apart the Royal Oak Offshore line from Audemars Piguet’s hallmark Royal Oak collection.

Audemars Piguet 15710 Price Point

The Audemars Piguet 15710 price was initially listed for retail at $19,000. However, since this watch’s discontinuation in 2021, secondary market resale prices have gone up, ranging from about $21,000 to around $60,000. Certain rare variations of the line can sell for more, and pieces that are sold with their original factory box and papers also command a premium. One highly unusual variation offers especially high value. The “Japanese Diver” 15710 watch, limited to about 500 pieces, was the only variation from this line crafted in rose gold. Its grey dial and muted hues have made it the subject of much desire on the secondary market, especially since it is particularly hard to find in good condition.

The Bottom Line

As a whole, the Audemars Piguet 15710 marks an important chapter in the history of the Royal Oak Offshore. This diving watch improved upon the features, functionality, and wearability of earlier variations yet maintained an attractive simplicity that future models cannot beat. With high levels of water resistance, an exhibition caseback, and two functional crowns, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore 15710 is everything that a sports watch enthusiast has been dreaming about. Further, following its discontinuation in 2021, it has commanded higher prices on the secondary market and has become a hot commodity that savvy collectors are excited to add to their repertoires.