In 2009, the Manufacture Audemars Piguet is partnering the Tour Auto Optic 2000 for the fourth time running by serving as Official Timekeeper: a perfect opportunity for the watch brand to create an exceptional new timepiece, the “Royal Oak Offshore Tour Auto 2009 Chronograph”, issued in a limited edition of 100.

The Tour Auto …

First launched in 1992, the Tour Auto is a retrospective of the “Tour de France Automobile”. It has become a can’t-miss event in the historical motor sports calendar. The rally covers a scenic route that is modified each year and consists in a carefully selected sequence of French minor roads. It is interspersed with various Epreuves Spéciales, meaning speed trials on closed roads and tracks that serve to determine the final rankings. Starting from Paris, the itinerary covers almost 2,000 kilometres and is divided into five stages. Each of the 200 participants from around the world chooses the category in which they wish to take part: either Competition or Regularity. Contestants must comply with regulations by presenting a duly eligible car (i.e. a model that ran in the “Tour de France Automobile” between 1951 and 1973).

… will follow an unprecedented route this year

For its 18th edition, the Tour Auto Optic 2000 has chosen to take a new direction, leading through the north-eastern part of France. After the verification day and the April 21st start from the Jardin des Tuileries, the 200 historical racing cars will set off for the various cities stopover towns of Beaune, Mulhouse, Luxemburg and Lille. The arrival is scheduled for April 25th in Deauville.

Sharing values…

The fact that Audemars Piguet is entering into its fourth consecutive year of partnership with the famous historical rally is largely due to the fact that the values of the Manufacture are so closely attuned to those of motor sports. Indeed, the brand’s line-up of famous ambassadors already includes Formula 1 racing drivers Rubens Barrichello and Jarno Trulli. As official timekeeper of the historical “Tour de France Automobile”, Audemars Piguet is clearly proving its determination to associate with a classic car race. Mechanical engineering, technical sophistication, aesthetic elegance and human passion are just some of the common denominators between this prestigious world and that of the complex watches created by the renowned watchmaker.

… and targeting excellence!

After the Jules Audemars Tour Auto 2006, the Royal Oak Tour Auto 2007 and the Royal Oak Offshore Tour Auto 2008 Chronograph, Audemars Piguet has created the Royal Oak Offshore Tour Auto 2009 Chronograph* in honour of this new edition of the historical rally. Like its predecessors, this exceptional timepiece features a number of stylistic references to racing cars: the black dial with its red counters is reminiscent of a chequered race flag, while the red hands echo those on a racing car instrument panel. The case is made from titanium, a light and extremely resistant material which, thanks to its excellent mechanical properties, is increasingly used in standard applications such as the sports or automobile industries. The Tour Auto is not only one of the most prestigious automobile events, but also a sports competition that puts mechanisms to a stern test. The one housed within this new timepiece with its octagonal bezel is distinguished by a blend of avant-garde technology, a tireless quest for performance and outstanding dedication to perfection.

* Price on request

Reference
26278IK.GG.D002CA.01
Limited numbered series of 100

Movement
Calibre: 2326/2840, self-winding
Power reserve: up to 38 hours
Cadence of the balance: 28,800 vibrations per hour
Finishing: all parts decorated by hand; mainplate rhodium-plated, bevelled and circular-grained; bridges adorned with Côtes de Genève motif

Functions
Hours and minutes
Small seconds
Chronograph with central seconds hand, 30-minute and 12-hour counters
Tachometric flange
Date

Case
In shot-peened titanium, rubber bezel
Diameter: 42 mm
Polished steel assembly screws, sapphire crystal
Screw-lock crown and pushpieces in red rubber
Back engraved with the Tour Auto logo and bearing the inscription Royal Oak Offshore – Série Limitée
Water-resistance: 100 metres

Dial
Black with exclusive “Mega-Tapisserie” decorative motif
Red counters
Luminescent hour-markers
Luminescent white gold hour and inute hands

Strap
Black rubber
AP folding clasp in shot-peened titanium

Source: Audemars Piguet