So, about this AP Diver thing. It wasn’t like I woke up one day wanting one. Nah. It started way back, probably saw a picture somewhere, maybe a magazine or online. Didn’t even know what Audemars Piguet really was back then, just thought, “damn, that’s a chunky, cool-looking watch“. Looked tough, different from the usual stuff you see.
Years went by, you know how it is, life happens. Got busy with work, family, other stuff. But that watch kinda stuck in the back of my head. Then I started seeing it pop up more, maybe on forums or social media. Started actually looking into it. Found out the name, AP Royal Oak Offshore Diver. Okay, fancy name. Then I saw the price. Whoa. That was a shocker. Definitely not something you just pick up on a whim. Plus, folks were saying they were hard to get, like you couldn’t just walk into a store and buy one most of the time. So, yeah, pretty much forgot about it again, seemed way out of reach.
Fast forward a bit. Had a decent year, saved up some cash. Was thinking about getting myself something significant. That Diver image popped back into my head. This time felt different, maybe actually possible. So, the real work started. I began calling authorized dealers. Most were polite but basically told me, “Sorry, long waiting list, no idea when“. Some didn’t even bother being that polite. It was frustrating, honestly. Felt like trying to get into some exclusive club I wasn’t cool enough for. Looked at the used market too, but the prices were even crazier sometimes! Almost gave up, thought maybe it wasn’t meant to be.
Then, kind of out of the blue, got a call back from one of the places I’d visited months earlier. Said they had one allocated for me if I was still interested. Was I interested? Heck yeah! Went down there pretty much the next day. Seeing it in person, finally, after all that chasing… it felt good. Did the paperwork, paid the price – still felt a bit nuts spending that much on a watch – and walked out with the box.
Getting it home, unboxing it properly… that was an experience. The build quality, the finishing, you could see where the money went, even if it still seemed wild. Put it on my wrist. It was heavy. Solid. Definitely makes a statement. Wore it around the house that first day, kept looking at it. Felt a bit weird wearing something so expensive just doing normal stuff.
Been wearing it quite a bit since then, not every single day, but often. It’s tough, handles bumps and scrapes pretty well, which is good ’cause I’m not the most careful guy. Still love the look of it. Is it practical? Maybe not the most practical watch ever, it’s big and thick. But it’s cool. The whole journey, the wait, the chase, kind of makes wearing it feel more special, you know? Looking back, it was a hassle, but yeah, glad I went through with it. It’s just a watch, but sometimes it’s the process, the story behind getting something, that makes it worthwhile.
