Audemars Piguet

Dino944
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Hi Thurgood...

Hi Thurgood,

thank you for your very kind words about my journey and decision making process regarding ROs.  I'm really glad that you found it helpful.

As for is being similar to a Daytona it truly is not similar.  In fact when I was leaning toward getting the RO chronograph, I never felt it was duplicative of my Daytonas (and I have 3, a SS Zenith Based Daytona, an all gold Zenith based Daytona from my Dad, and a SS Rolex movement Daytona).  I did not consider selling any of my Daytonas to help fund the purchase of a RO chronograph. 

I really believe one can own a Rolex Daytona and a Royal Oak Chronograph and wear them and enjoy them for what they are and also enjoy their differences.  While I generally dislike car analogies because they are so different from watches, I will use one anyway.  To me the Rolex Daytona and RO chronograph can be looked upon in much the same way I would look at a late 1980s Porsche 911 Carrera 3.2 and a Ferrari 328.  They are what each of these great brands believed a fine sports car should be in the 1980s.  The 911 is an iconic shape, the 328 is more flamboyant but reconizeable to a generation that grew up with Magnum PI (although he had a 308).  The 911 has that classic air cooled whumping sound, while the 328's flat plane crank V8 sings a wonderfully distinctive song that is unlike any German sports cars.  You sit more upright in a 911, you almost lay down in the 328.  Both are sports cars, but each provides a different experience and a person could own each without feeling they are duplicative.  Sorry to use such old cars in my analogy, but I grew up in the 80s.

I would definitely get the RO chronograph and have no fears or concerns that its too similar to a Daytona.  Its actually very different.  Each company incorporated DNA from their distinctive brand and created a chronograph that properly represents the brands' heritage, design and philosophy.  With the RO chrono, you have a modern version of the classic RO bracelet, the iconic octagonal bezel with white gold bolts, the Clou de Paris dial, and a chronograph with a date.  To me its a very artistic and handsome chronograph.  The Daytona is a slightly more traditional looking but a beautiful chronograph...with a tachymeter on the bezel to measure units of production, a classic Oyster Case, classic Oyster Bracelet, an updated version of the previous generation Daytona dial, and Oyster Lock Clasp...and you can see the heritage of past Daytonas in the current series of watches.

I have other time only watches, and watches with a see through display back, but I do not see any of them as being too similar to a RO Jumbo.  Similarly you should not worry that a RO chronograph is like a Daytona.  Their only real similarity is that they are both chronographs.  There are people that only collect chronographs, or diving watches, or dual time zone watches, and they don't worry that all of their watches are chronographs or dive watches etc.  My advice is to go for the ROC and enjoy it.

Best regards,

Dino