[jeffscott1]

Originally Posted by soooma

"While the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak dates back to 1972, the bolder Royal Oak Offshore first saw daylight 21 years later in 1993. The 42-mm Offshore was designed by Emmanuel Gueit. It is said that Stephen Urquhart, then a manager at Audemars Piguet and later CEO of Omega, asked Gueit to come up with something special for the 20th anniversary of the Royal Oak.

Not everyone was happy with the daring and large design of the Royal Oak Offshore, but in 1993 it was finally introduced to the public. Although many Royal Oak fans were appalled by this new extreme design, it generated a completely new audience for AP. It drew in people who wanted to flaunt a more extravagant timepiece than the modest Royal Oak that perhaps had too much of a 1970s feel.



The Same Yet Different

Hublot Big Bang


In 2004, you might say that Hublot jumped on the Royal Oak bandwagon. As the fame and reputation of the large sports watch from Le Brassus grew, it was hard for the manufacturer to keep up with demand. Hublot seized the opportunity and decided it was time to spice up their collection as well, introducing the Big Bang 11 years after AP debuted the Royal Oak. And a big bang it was. Clearly inspired by Genta's Royal Oak and Gueit's Offshore, the Big Bang caused quite the stir.

Hublot took the design and use of materials to the next level, using flashy colors, unusual materials, and making sure each model was only available as a limited edition. It worked. The Hublot Big Bang is favored by many 'new money' customers like soccer players, rappers, and the real estate broker down the street who recently made a small fortune."

Chrono24

I have a Big Bang unicorn Ferrari

The AP in my opinion is a much better watch, especially from a resale perspective