Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore 26420 and 26405
What are the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore 26420 and 26405?
These two references are the current Royal Oak Offshore chronographs, and they teach the most useful lesson in the Offshore line: in this generation, case size is a reference, and the movement follows it. The store's listings split cleanly. The 26420 is 43 mm and records calibre 4401, the manufacture's integrated flyback chronograph (40 jewels, a power reserve of about 70 hours); its listings describe the flyback function, which lets the chronograph restart with one press of the reset pusher. The 26405 is 44 mm and records calibre 3126/3840 (about 50 hours), the same modular chronograph the previous 42 mm generation used. Both record water resistance to 100 metres and a case thickness of about 14.4 mm, and both are worn on straps with pin buckles.
Quick facts
- In this generation, case size is a reference, and the movement follows it.
- The 26420 is 43 mm with calibre 4401, an integrated flyback chronograph.
- The 26405 is 44 mm with calibre 3126/3840, the modular chronograph the previous 42 mm generation used.
- Both are worn on straps with pin buckles.
Specifications
| Specification | 26420 | 26405 |
|---|---|---|
| Case size | 43 mm | 44 mm |
| Case thickness | About 14.4 mm | About 14.4 mm |
| Movement | Calibre 4401, integrated flyback chronograph, 40 jewels | Calibre 3126/3840, modular chronograph |
| Power reserve | About 70 hours | About 50 hours |
| Water resistance | 100 metres | 100 metres |
| Bracelet or strap | Strap with a pin buckle | Strap with a pin buckle |
How do the 26420 and 26405 differ from the previous 26470 generation?
Direct answer: the size grows from 42 mm to 43 mm on the 26420 and 44 mm on the 26405, the 26420 adds the flyback calibre 4401, and this generation offers colored ceramic cases, which the 42 mm generation did not offer in this form. A seller who describes a 26405 as a flyback, or a 26420 with the older calibre, has mixed the pair up.
Which 26420 and 26405 variants are there, and how can you tell them apart?
Start with the reference and the size, then the case material, which the middle segment names:
Variant matrix
| Reference | How to tell it apart |
|---|---|
| 26420SO | Steel, listed with a black ceramic bezel configuration and with the smoked taupe dial. |
| 26420CE | Black ceramic, including the End of Days configuration. |
| 26420TI | Titanium, the light case at 43 mm. |
| 26420SO and 26420CD (Bleu Nuit Nuage 50) | Named for its blue night cloud dial. The beige dialed example listed under the same name shows that named dial families still split by configuration. |
| 26405CE (black) | Black ceramic, the most listed configuration of the pair, with anthracite dials. |
| 26405CE (blue and green, by suffix) | Blue ceramic and green ceramic. The ceramic itself is colored, so the suffix, not the 26405CE segment alone, carries the case color. |
| 26405NR | Ceramic and rose gold, with a grey dial. |
Against the previous guide's 26470, the generational tells are the size (42 mm becomes 43 or 44), the 26420's flyback calibre, and the colored ceramic cases, which the 42 mm generation did not offer in this form. A seller who describes a 26405 as a flyback, or a 26420 with the older calibre, has mixed the pair up, and that mix up is the most common description error in the current Offshore line.
What should you check on any 26420 or 26405?
- The reference first: 26420 or 26405 settles size and calibre before anything else is discussed.
- On a 26420, test the flyback: with the chronograph running, one press of the lower pusher should reset and restart it. If it only resets, the watch needs attention.
- On colored ceramic 26405 examples, the suffix against the case color, since black, blue, green, and anthracite all share the CE segment.
- Case material in hand on the titanium and ceramic pieces, which wear far lighter than their size suggests and are easy to misdescribe from photographs.
- The set and strap: these are strap watches, and the strap fitted, its condition, and any additional straps in the set are part of the configuration.
Checklist at a glance
- Reference first: 26420 or 26405 settles size and calibre before anything else.
- On a 26420, the flyback tested with the chronograph running.
- On a colored ceramic 26405, the suffix matched against the case color.
- Case material confirmed in hand on titanium and ceramic pieces.
- Strap fitted, its condition, and any additional straps in the set confirmed as part of the configuration.
How do you buy a 26420 or 26405 from The Stellaris Collection?
Examples of these references are listed on our site.
Warranty: while a manufacturer warranty is in force it applies; a watch out of manufacturer warranty carries a 1-year warranty from The Stellaris Collection. Purchases are completed directly with our team, by invoice, with payment by bank wire. Email info@thestellariscollection.com or call (213) 444-0926. By appointment only. We are an independent dealer, not an authorized Audemars Piguet retailer.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between the 26420 and the 26405?
The reference settles size and movement together. The 26420 is 43 mm and records calibre 4401, the integrated flyback chronograph, with a power reserve of about 70 hours. The 26405 is 44 mm and records calibre 3126/3840, with a power reserve of about 50 hours.
Is the 26405 a flyback chronograph?
No. The flyback belongs to the 26420 and its calibre 4401, which lets the chronograph restart with one press of the reset pusher. The 26405 uses calibre 3126/3840.
How can you tell the case color of a 26405?
By the suffix, not by the 26405CE segment alone. Black, blue, green, and anthracite examples share the CE segment, and the suffix carries the case color.
How do these references differ from the 26470?
The generational tells are the size (42 mm becomes 43 or 44), the 26420's flyback calibre, and the colored ceramic cases, which the 42 mm generation did not offer in this form.
What should you test on a 26420 before buying?
Test the flyback: with the chronograph running, one press of the lower pusher should reset and restart it. If it only resets, the watch needs attention.
