Audemars Piguet vs Hublot – Royal Oak Offshore Safari versus Big Bang Evolution
To many luxury watch collectors, the name Audemars Piguet epitomizes ultimate class and elegance.
It is not surprising then that when the 130-year-old+ Swiss watch manufacturer is compared to other famous, newer brands, torches and pitchforks are raised, en masse!
Thus begins the battle of AP vs Hublot as shown on the video above, where watch expert Eric Rivera compares and contrasts two specific models from these watch brands: a stainless steel AP Royal Oak Offshore Safari and a rose gold Hublot Big Bang Evolution.
As Eric humorously puts it…
“Hublot versus Audemars Piguet…I know that that statement alone will cause some enthusiast to cringe and, I don’t know, perhaps slap a baby in the face or something. They’re like ‘unbelievable!’”
The thing is that, normally, you wouldn’t put a gold watch (the Hublot) up against a stainless steel one (the AP Safari), since, obviously, the gold watch will have an edge. But that isn’t the case in this battle – as Audemars Piguet’s status as an older Swiss watch brand more than compensates for the difference in material.
Eric sums up the reason why he is comparing the 42-mm, stainless steel Audemars Piguet watch against the rose gold, 44-mm Hublot Big Bang Evolution.
“I know AP is a better brand than Hublot. However, it’s because it’s a better brand than Hublot that I’m able to compare a steel AP vs a gold watch…because if it was a gold AP versus this gold Hublot, there’ll be no comparison. AP would reign supreme all day.”
So even though Eric likes the deployment clasp on the Hublot much more than the one on the AP Safari because he feels it’s a lot more comfortable, it seems as if the attractiveness of the gold is the only thing that is allowing the Hublot to stand next to the AP in a watch-to-watch comparison.
Price of Hublot vs Audemars Piguet
The retail price of the Hublot Big Bang is about 30% higher than that of the AP Safari: $33,600 vs $26,000 respectively. Nevertheless, despite the higher price tag for the Hublot, the preowned prices for both watches are a lot closer to one another.
The pre owned price range for Hublot is approximately $17,500 to $18,500. At the same time, you can pick up a pre-owned AP Royal Oak from about $15,500 to $16,500.
If you do the math, that makes the preowned Hublot as little as 6% higher than the AP. That is a significantly lower difference than when doing the retail comparison.
It is also a strong indication of how AP holds its value better than Hublot.
AP vs Hublot in the Watch Game
As I have explained numerous times before regarding the Watch Your Style video series, the most important thing according to these videos is how strong a watch will make a guy’s “Watch Game.” Eric does not want to reinvent the wheel and provide truckloads of technical or complicated information about the watch he reviews. Many other YouTubers already do that. The “Watch Game” is about style, period!
So how does Eric feel about the Big Bang as it pertains to the watch game? He says…
“The rose gold Hublot is sporty, but yet flashy. For me, is just a watch that’s going to be perfect for many different types of occasions and it’s also going to attract the attention you might looking for.”
The Hublot is not completely made out of gold, which keeps the watch in a sporty category. It is a watch that is louder on the wrist, so it’ll be perfect for people who want to stand out in the crowd (ain’t nothing wrong with that!).
According to Eric, the AP is more of a serious, classier piece. Thus, it is great for someone who does not want to stand out so much and, instead, would like to remain more in “stealth” mode when it comes to their wrist-wear.
So what is your choice, gold and conspicuous or stainless steel and subdued?
Erick concludes…
“What’s the ideal scenario? The ideal scenario would be for you to eventually acquire both of them. Personally, I own both of these watches and to tell you the truth, I wouldn’t be able at least at this moment to get rid of one and not miss it.”
So there you go folks. Both luxury watches offer their own unique benefits depending on the objectives and goals of the wearer. Now you just need to make up your mind whether you should get one or both!
If you enjoyed Eric’s AP vs Hublot video, please like and share it. If you are a fan of high end watches and would like to stay up to date with all our videos and giveaways during the remainder of 2015, make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel.
Click here to visit our Hublot section and here to visit our AP page.