Audemars Piguet 26400AU.OO.A002CA.01 ROO Forged Carbon

[Cobie520]

Hello all. Interested in purchasing an offshore forged carbon. Gotten a lot of mixed reviews about wear and tear, carbon maintenance, fakes etc. Any owners of this watch mind giving their opinions? I know watch is discontinued and buying one would be a few years old. Thanks in advance.

[SMD]

That is not the forged carbon model...

[GoingPlaces]

looks like ceramic to me.

[Andy0331]

No to be critical but the watch pictured appears to be a first gen ceramic, which had the black dial (26402CE.OO.A002CA.01). The forged carbon model maintained the black dial, but had the forged carbon case, which has a "marbled" and matte appearance.

I've owned the 44 carbon & loved it. It was unique, extremely lightweight for it's size and absolutely flew under the radar, as aside from the ceramic bezel, there is essentially nothing "flashy" about it. A definite stealth piece.

I currently own a 44 ceramic, which I love for different reasons, but the biggest is that AP's ceramic finishing is fantastic. Durability is another; as unless you drop or really bang the watch into something (aside from the Ti buckle), it will look like new forever. The downside is that if it gets damaged, it will chip or shatter & you will have to replace that particular part.

If the carbon were to be damaged (scratches/scuffs), it couldn't be refinished either, but most likely would be "hidden" within the matte, marbled appearance and hard to notice.

[Cobie520]

Much appreciated!

Originally Posted by Andy0331

No to be critical but the watch pictured appears to be a first gen ceramic, which had the black dial (26402CE.OO.A002CA.01). The forged carbon model maintained the black dial, but had the forged carbon case, which has a "marbled" and matte appearance.

I've owned the 44 carbon & loved it. It was unique, extremely lightweight for it's size and absolutely flew under the radar, as aside from the ceramic bezel, there is essentially nothing "flashy" about it. A definite stealth piece.

I currently own a 44 ceramic, which I love for different reasons, but the biggest is that AP's ceramic finishing is fantastic. Durability is another; as unless you drop or really bang the watch into something (aside from the Ti buckle), it will look like new forever. The downside is that if it gets damaged, it will chip or shatter & you will have to replace that particular part.

If the carbon were to be damaged (scratches/scuffs), it couldn't be refinished either, but most likely would be "hidden" within the matte, marbled appearance and hard to notice.

[AK797]

I've seen a few examples here over the years of the FC getting scuffed up so I myself prefer ceramic, but the FC has a great marbled look and if you wear it in rotation and give it some protection then it should be a good buy.

[sullivan2829]

I have a FC 44mm and Mine is a 2013. It is worn in rotation with my Deepsea and still looks fantastic. Don’t be frightened off by some of the FC scare stories. Should the case be damaged it has to be replaced not refinished but that can be done worst case scenario. It’s Super lightweight and comfortable. Mine is currently with AP service so away for 5 weeks and im really missing it! Go for it you won’t regret it.

[WatchEater666]

Originally Posted by Andy0331

No to be critical but the watch pictured appears to be a first gen ceramic, which had the black dial (26402CE.OO.A002CA.01). The forged carbon model maintained the black dial, but had the forged carbon case, which has a "marbled" and matte appearance.

I've owned the 44 carbon & loved it. It was unique, extremely lightweight for it's size and absolutely flew under the radar, as aside from the ceramic bezel, there is essentially nothing "flashy" about it. A definite stealth piece.

I currently own a 44 ceramic, which I love for different reasons, but the biggest is that AP's ceramic finishing is fantastic. Durability is another; as unless you drop or really bang the watch into something (aside from the Ti buckle), it will look like new forever. The downside is that if it gets damaged, it will chip or shatter & you will have to replace that particular part.

If the carbon were to be damaged (scratches/scuffs), it couldn't be refinished either, but most likely would be "hidden" within the matte, marbled appearance and hard to notice.

Yeah I think they really do ceramic extremely well relative to other competitors.

[Tanuki]

Originally Posted by Cobie520

Much appreciated!

https://www.instagram.com/p/CQTXqlut...dium=copy_link

Is this the model you were thinking of? Looks great!

[Cobie520]

Yes! That is the one I was thinking of.

Originally Posted by Tanuki

https://www.instagram.com/p/CQTXqlut...dium=copy_link

Is this the model you were thinking of? Looks great!

[Andy0331]

Here's the best shot of my old one; the sun caught it just right & I acutally managed to get everything in focus. Of course, it generally looks much more muted in normal light conditions, but they do have moments where they "pop", such as this.

I recommend seeing a forged carbon model in person to see if it's for you. The model should be mostly irrelevant, as the case material is what you want to "experience". That said, early models, such as the Alinghi used a different formula and the older cases (and those with FC bezels) have some poor examples out there. I haven't seen a poor example of a 44 yet.

[gliazzurri]

Originally Posted by Andy0331

Here's the best shot of my old one; the sun caught it just right & I acutally managed to get everything in focus. Of course, it generally looks much more muted in normal light conditions, but they do have moments where they "pop", such as this.

I recommend seeing a forged carbon model in person to see if it's for you. The model should be mostly irrelevant, as the case material is what you want to "experience". That said, early models, such as the Alinghi used a different formula and the older cases (and those with FC bezels) have some poor examples out there. I haven't seen a poor example of a 44 yet.

Originally Posted by Andy0331

Here's the best shot of my old one; the sun caught it just right & I acutally managed to get everything in focus. Of course, it generally looks much more muted in normal light conditions, but they do have moments where they "pop", such as this.

I recommend seeing a forged carbon model in person to see if it's for you. The model should be mostly irrelevant, as the case material is what you want to "experience". That said, early models, such as the Alinghi used a different formula and the older cases (and those with FC bezels) have some poor examples out there. I haven't seen a poor example of a 44 yet.

Beautiful photo and detail shown. Bravo!

[AshAP]

Originally Posted by Andy0331

Here's the best shot of my old one; the sun caught it just right & I acutally managed to get everything in focus. Of course, it generally looks much more muted in normal light conditions, but they do have moments where they "pop", such as this.

I recommend seeing a forged carbon model in person to see if it's for you. The model should be mostly irrelevant, as the case material is what you want to "experience". That said, early models, such as the Alinghi used a different formula and the older cases (and those with FC bezels) have some poor examples out there. I haven't seen a poor example of a 44 yet.

When I visited the factory the guide took our group to the room where the forged carbon cases were made and the process was demonstrated. Real shame that AP don’t make these currently.


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