Audemars Piguet the Royal Oak Offshore LEBRON James

“I’ve loved watches for as long as I can remember, but I first became aware of Audemars Piguet through a friend and mentor of mine. The mechanics of watchmaking have always interested me. My first visit to Audemars Piguet – seeing what it takes to create a watch and bringing everything together – was incredible. I have never imagined the number of stages and the amount of people involved in making a watch from start to finish, from conception to final product. It requires a lot of technical skills and patience!

For me, as a professional basketball player, I continue to strive to get better, year after year. I feel as if that’s something Audemars Piguet and I really have in common. They’re always trying to improve and innovate. When they make a watch, they want it to be something people love, just as when I play the game of basketball, I want someone watching to love how I play the game. I’m very pleased how my vision and that of Audemars Piguet came together in this watch.” Lebron James

There are in life, those things and people who seem to not only express excellence in themselves, but have the ability to become symbols of achievement, integrity, leadership in a larger world.

AUDEMARS PIGUET IS ESPECIALLY PROUD OF ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH FOUR-TIMES MVP AWARDED BASKETBALL PLAYER LEBRON JAMES, A HOUSEHOLD WORD IN THE SPORT OF BASKETBALL WHO’S CONSIDERED BY MANY TO BE ONE OF THE MOST TALENTED, POWERFUL, AND ACCOMPLISHED PLAYERS OF ALL TIME. LEBRON WHO HAS FROM THE VERY BEGINNING OF HIS CAREER, NOT ONLY STRIVEN SINGLE-MINDEDLY FOR EXCELLENCE IN THE GAME THAT’S MADE HIM WORLD-FAMOUS, BUT ALSO USED THE POWER OF HIS FAME TO CHANGE THE LIVES OF COUNTLESS CHILDREN FOR THE BETTER, THROUGH THE LEBRON JAMES FAMILY FOUNDATION.

It is in the constant striving for perfection personified in his life both on and off the court that LeBron James sees the deepest connection between himself and Audemars Piguet. In celebration of his so far achievements, Audemars Piguet has created a very special limited edition timepiece: the Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph LeBron James.

THE STORY OF LEBRON JAMES’ CAREER BEGINS IN AKRON, OHIO, WHERE HE SHOWED THE TALENTS THAT WOULD TAKE HIM TO THE MOST ELITE LEVEL OF THE WORLD OF PRO BASKETBALL AT A VERY EARLY AGE. HIS PERFORMANCE ON THE COURT HAS BEEN A LIST OF SUPERLATIVES.

Straight from high school, he was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003 and set a record (for most points scored by a prep-to-pro player in his first game) right at the outset, scoring 25 points. He was to go on to become, while with the team, a two time All-Star Game MVP winner, and rapidly becoming known for his incredible combination of sheer physical power and remarkable agility. He has three Olympic medals to his credit as well – a bronze in 2004 and a gold in 2008 and 2012. His controversial move to the Miami’s basketball team in 2010 put him under enormous public scrutiny and pressure.

But ultimately, the experience proved transformative for LeBron by reinforcing the spirit of teamwork and positive experience on the court that had always been at the heart of his ability to play at the top of his game. The results speak for themselves – in 2012 and 2013, he led the Miami team to back-to-back NBA championships. It was a spectacular 18-month period. Not only did LeBron win two NBA championships, he was also chosen twice as the NBA Finals MVP and helped lead the American Olympic Basketball “Dream Team” to a gold medal. This is the second time in the history of the game that a player has been an NBA Champion, MVP, and Olympic Gold Medalist.

LeBron is also known as the founder of the LeBron James Family Foundation. “This initiative with third graders, back in my hometown in Ohio, has the ambition to help them graduate from high school”, says LeBron.

The core of the Foundation is the Promise, a commitment not only made by LeBron himself but by every participant. “Each and every year, they promise that they will do well in school; they promise they’ll listen to their teachers; that they’ll be out in the community; and that they will stay in shape. And I make a promise to them, too – that I will continue to be a mentor to them, that I will hold myself to the highest standard, and that I will be a role model to them – on and off the floor.”

The Royal Oak Offshore descended from the Iconic Royal Oak and has gone on to become one of the most sought after sports watches ever made. The decision to collaborate with Audemars Piguet on the creation of a limited edition of 600 pieces is a natural result of LeBron’s elegant personal style, and the combination of unabashed masculinity and bold design that’s been the hallmark of the Royal Oak Offshore since it first debuted twenty years ago.

THE ROY AL OAK OFFSHORE CHRONOGRAPH LEBRON JAMES IS IN EVERY DETAIL A REFLECTION OF LEBRON’S PERSONAL SOPHISTICATION, AND PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE. LIKE LEBRON HIMSELF, THIS TIMEPIECE IS A COMBINATION OF BOLD DYNAMISM WITH SOPHISTICATED STYLE.

The 18k pink gold case lends an air of luxurious richness while at the same time underscoring the powerful geometry of the case, and is set off by the cool, almost silken sheen of the titanium bezel. The rich combination of pink gold and grey metal is further underscored by the grey “M.ga Tapisserie” dial, with its pink gold applied Arabic numerals and pink gold hands. A further discreet touch of luxury is the single diamond set into the chronograph pushpiece at two o’clock with both pushers, as well as the crown, made in black ceramic.

The selection of grey as a color for the hand-stitched crocodile strap is an unusual choice as well, giving this powerfully proportioned, 44mm timepiece an undeniably urban feel that was important in satisfying LeBron’s vision of this Limited Edition as an exercise in both masculinity and elegance.

" I LOVE THE STRAP – WE TALKED ABOUT A LOT OF POSSIBILITIES AND I THOUGHT GREY WOULD BE THE PERFECT COLOR – AT FIRST YOU REALLY DON’T THINK PINK GOLD AND GREY WILL WORK TOGETHER, BUT WHEN YOU MATCH IT UP WITH THIS WATCH AND THIS STYLE, IT’S A PERFECT COMBINATION."

It’s an expression of the dual facets of LeBron James in horological form – Royal Oak Offshore fans might have thought a timepiece made in collaboration with one of the world’s most powerful athletes would be an exercise in pure testosterone, but the combination of subtle visual harmony with the bold lines of the Royal Oak Offshore is a true expression of both the physicality and sophistication of who LeBron James is.