By Phillip D. Johnsom
Images Provided by Audemars Piguet
NBA Star Represents Renowned Swiss Watch Brand on International Stage and Collaborated on Exclusive Limited-Edition Watch
ON FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27th, Audemars Piguet (www.audemarspiguet.com) celebrated Brand Ambassador LeBron James On The Launch Of His New Watch, The Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph Lebron James, with a PRESS CONFERENCE AND COCKTAIL PARTY HELD AT 1111 LINCOLN ROAD IN MIAMI BEACH
Joining the celebrated four-time NBA MVP LeBron James were Francois-Henry Bennahmias, CEO of Audemars Piguet 
and Xavier Nolot, CEO of Audemars Piguet (North America) as well as Kourtney Kardashian & Scott Disick, Michael Strahan & Nicole Murphy, NBC Today Show’s Jill Martin, the Fugees Pras Michel, Tinie Tempah, and Flo Rida with music provided by DJ Mick
LeBron James has been a Audemars Piguet global brand ambassador since 2011 and they cemented their relationship by creating the Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph LeBron James, a special limited edition timepiece.
Nicknamed “King James”, the two-time NBA championship winner and Olympic gold medalist is one of the most accomplished basketball players
ever to play the game. “I’ve loved watches for as long as I can remember,” LeBron said in a statement. “But I first became aware
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph LeBron James
of Audemars Piguet through a friend and mentor of mine. The mechanics of watchmaking have always interested me.” Audemars Piguet, the world’s oldest watch manufacturer still in the hands of its founding families chose James for his commitment to excellence, skilled technique and unwavering generosity -values shared by these two legends.
Speaking about the collaborative process behind the creation of the 600 piece limited edition, James said, “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!”
The Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph LeBron James begins with a 44mm 18K pink gold case with a titanium bezel. The
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph LeBron James
rich combination of pink gold and grey metal is underscored by the grey “Méga Tapisserie” dial, which features pink gold applied Arabic numerals and pink gold hands. The chronograph pushpiece at two o’clock is set with a single diamond. The pushpieces and the crown are in black ceramic.
LeBron’s signature is printed in blue on the sapphire crystal display back, through which the 22 carat, partially openworked oscillating weight for the lavishly decorated, self-winding chronograph calibre 3126/3840 is visible.
The 365-part movement boasts a 55-hour power reserve.
A hand-stitched “large square scale” grey crocodile strap with an 18K pink gold pin buckle completes the look.
“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,” LeBron added. “They’re always trying to improve and innovate. When they
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph LeBron James
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.”
James is part of an elite roster of brand ambassadors including race car icon Michael Schumacher, international soccer star Leo Messi, cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, and top professional golfers such as, Graeme McDowell, Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood.
The party, sponsored by Moet & Chandon, Double Cross Vodka, and Atlantico Rum, at the Herzog & de Meuron-designed 1111 Lincoln Road was the perfect backdrop for the state-of-the art video specially created for the evening. The video culminated with LeBron driving a Ferrari 458 into the party to the delight of the 350 guests in the audience.
The Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph LeBron James will be available exclusively at the Audemars Piguet boutiques in New York City and Bal Harbour, for a retail price of US$51,500.