MichaelC
[AP Moderator]
22419
Great report TM. A brief remark...
about that bezel...
Indeed, a stroke of genius. When I first saw the pictures of this watch I wondered (like many, I would guess) about using carbon over ceramic instead of the other way around. When looking at this watch as a whole, there is no question that it is executed the way it has to be. To place this watch on the wrist and look at it straight on, you see just a smidgen of that polished ceramic poking out beneath the carbon on all sides. Refined structural support below the upper wear material... perfect.
Certainly there is much more to your fabulous report, but with limited time this key point is what strikes me most.
Congratulations Thomas, along with the Survivor, you have the two finest LE Offshores I have ever laid eyes upon.
Audemars Piguet Grand Prix All Carbon, revisited: Extended on the wrist review
Living with the Audemars Piguet Grand Prix All Carbon Audemars Piguet Grand Prix All Carbon ref. 26290IO.OO.A001VE.01 (warning - there is dust on the watch, yes. I could have cleaned it off, but I decided not to. This is what it looks like after a few mon...
Great report TM. A brief remark...
about that bezel... Indeed, a stroke of genius. When I first saw the pictures of this watch I wondered (like many, I would guess) about using carbon over ceramic instead of the other way around. When looking at this watch as a whole, there is no question ...
Thank you, Michael, very kind words. and it is great...
to share common ideas with kindred spirits! Thanks, Michael. TM
A follow up question on the Grand Prix Offshore
Was the Grand Prix Offshore designed by Octavio Garcia?
It was designed by the AP design team...
though not necessarily by Mr. Garcia himself. Again, Mr. Garcia is an extremely talented designer and a great human being, but in AP, there is great bench depth in all the departments. Cheers, TM
Changing my mind? Maybe.
The more I see it, the more I like it. I like to think that we can find the beauty on the details, and this one has a lot of them. With post like this it's even easier to understand, who, when, why, what, where and how of a watch design. Thanks Thomas. Ni...
M6 is an all time design classic.
Thanks for your kind words. Though the M6 is not a super car by todays standards, the design is ever green. And that drive train - wow! They really don't make them like THAT anymore. Power and reliability. So many have 150,000 and 200,000 and still going ...
I'm convinced...
I'm one hundred percent convinced this is a stylish watch. However, after reading and gawking at the beautiful pictures in this review, I realize that I have another dilemma; I don't have a red car to go with the watch. A watch is a man's accessory. A win...
What do you think about that
copper/gold coloured tachometer? I stared at it for good 5 minutes and couldn't pull the trigger in the end. The contrast is just not harmonic, and of course, that's just me...
My comments might not be helpful because...
I liked it from the beginning, even from just the original drawings. The "copper/gold" bronze colored tachy ring looks fine to my eyes, even amidst so many other colors on the dial. It also has the unique visual illusion of appearing either convex or conc...
Thanks for the great review Thomas
I really LOVE your shot of the display back. That picture looks unreal! Much better display back than the Montoya IMO. The more I see this Grand Prix, the more it's growing on me. I still think there's a lot going on with the watch, but I'm definitely get...
Thanks, Anthony. It is busy, but you quickly get used to it.
and then the harmony of the design overall, as well as all the little details, start to come through. Thanks for your kind words. I'm not a great photographer, but sometimes, I get lucky...
The AP Grand Prix All Carbon review
Great review (cool watches and cars too!). My favorite pics are these two, they really show the red eloxed aluminum dial color change: Thanks TM! Regards, ED-209...
It really is amazing how "alive" the the dial appears...
a really great effect! Thanks, Ed. TM
Great review Thomas. When I saw the AP Grand Prix watches
for the first time at SIHH, it was the carbon/red version that really caught my eye. The platinum/blue is a close second, but the carbon/red is striking. What really pleased me about the watch was the use of the AP 3120 base calibre - a far more elegant a...
AP did an amazing job with this one....
Great pics TM! AP did an amazing job with the race car theme on this one. -MW
Thanks, DRMW. It is SO much better in person...
like most of AP's designs, it is much much better in person but it ain't so bad in pictures either... Thanks for your kind words. TM
Great review - but terrible time trying to get one even from the boutiques..
Although I love AP and many of their watches, I pretty much given up on them as of late. Not to rant too much, but they really should make the new "evolved" line of cases part of a regular production line and not LEs.
I know they are working on it...
Hi, evosam, It really is a double edged sword. Readily available and some buyers will ask "why is it so easy to get? Does not one want it?" Hot and hard to get and those who can't get it feel betrayed or frustrated. I know that AP are considering a number...
Thanks for the insight - any details you can share on this?
Thanks for the reply Thomas. Looking at other brands and even at their own "limited production" and not limited edition strategy is one way to go. So while I fully understand the line between limiting availability to create hype and demand, they could als...
More will become clear in the coming months...
Hi, Sam, Long time! Glad to see you are still around and looking. A number of different plans are being considered and to be rolled out; details will become clear in the coming months. Cheers, TM
Thank you TM for the extremely interesting review of the AP Grand Prix!
First I want to say that your photos are exceptional,...especially the one of the caseback which is breathtaking. It was interesting to see how auto parts inspired the design of the watch. Thank you for highlighting this. I'm amazed at how much detail thi...
Appreciate the kind words, Ping.
Always refreshing to see appreciation of hard, "high mech" from a member of the gentler gender... See you soon. TM
FANTASTIC report Thomas! Imho, LE's like this Grand Prix...
Are meant to have the "Wow" factor. If I want simplicity, there are other brands that offer that. With AP, I want something DIFFERENT. Something that stands out. I think this certainly fits the bill.=)
Much more impressive in the real!
Excellent post, Thomas! Thanks for highlighting some of the unique design features that infuse this watch with its sporty, racing spirit. I did not think about the piece at length after it was released, as my AP-oriented brainwaves were focused on the new...
Just got info from AP AD the Grand Prix forged Carbon that watch is ready for collection
Just got info from AP AD the Grand Prix forged Carbon booked by me is ready for collection.......cant wait to collect it.....will post veiws on it soon....