Audemars Piguet Unleashes the Ultra-Black Beast: The New Edition to the AP Royal Oak Offshore Collection

About two years ago, the world was graced with the release of the black ceramic Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph by Audemars Piguet. The stunning timepiece, also known as the Black Beast, was a modern, stealthy take on one of the brand’s most beloved designs. Now, for its 2025 collection, Audemars Piguet has launched a new model that manages to take the black concept even further.

The design was simple yet robust: a 42mm automatic chronograph with an octagonal bezel, lined with a rubber gasket, equipped with a blue petite tapisserie dial and an integrated steel bracelet. The chronograph came back in a modernized format in 2021 under the reference 26238ST and is now a staple part of the permanent collection.

Fast forward to 2023, Audemars Piguet introduced reference 26238CE, a black ceramic evolution of the classic Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph. The model retained all the classic traits of the original Royal Oak Offshore designs but was presented in an elegant black ceramic casing, completed with a matching black bracelet.

In the 2025 collection, Audemars Piguet has introduced a new version of the ROO Chronograph 42mm 26238CE, but this time with a different dial and an ultra-modern design. The revised model, referred to as the Ultra-Black Beast or the Blacker-than-Black Beast, features a new generation Méga Tapisserie dial and an even darker monochromatic look. Though it continues to honour the historical elements of the original Beast design, the new beastly timepiece shows an evolution, highlighting Audemars Piguet’s ever-present desire to push the boundaries of watch craftsmanship.