Short answer
Audemars Piguet built the Royal Oak Offshore ref. 26470 from 2014 to 2021. The case measures 42 mm across and about 14.4 mm thick. Searches for "replica Audemars Piguet 26470O" return copies priced from $300 to $900. A copy is not an Audemars Piguet watch. It carries no factory warranty and no path to brand service. Federal law bans trafficking in counterfeit watches, and Customs can seize shipments at the border.
The real 26470
The 26470 sits in the 42 mm Royal Oak Offshore chronograph line and replaced the 26170 in 2014. Inside is calibre 3126/3840, an automatic movement with a Dubois Depraz chronograph module, 365 parts, 59 jewels, and a 50 hour power reserve at 21,600 vibrations per hour. Water resistance is 100 m. The dial carries the Mega Tapisserie grid pattern. Sapphire covers the dial and the case back. Steel, pink gold, yellow gold, and titanium versions exist.
"26470O" is not a full reference
Audemars Piguet reference numbers run 12 to 16 characters. A complete number looks like 26470ST.OO.A027CA.01. The letters after the base number name the case metal: ST for steel, OR for pink gold, BA for yellow gold, IO for titanium. The lone "O" in "26470O" is a fragment of the material code. Replica listings keep that fragment because it is short and easy to type. A buyer who copies it cannot match a listing to a specific watch.
What the copies use
- Movement: a Chinese clone of the Valjoux 7750, or a 7750 with a decorative plate. The 7750 stack is taller than the 3126/3840, so copies measure 15 mm to 16 mm thick.
- Metal: steel for the ST look. Gold-tone copies use plated brass or plated steel. The plating wears through at the crown and the clasp.
- Dial: printed or stamped tapisserie squares. Alignment drifts at the date window and the subdials.
- Engravings: case back text with wrong fonts, missing spaces, and serial numbers repeated across units.
Checks that separate a copy from a real 26470
- Measure the case thickness. A real 26470 is about 14.4 mm. Copies are thicker.
- Look through the sapphire case back. A real watch shows the 3126/3840 with a gold rotor and Cotes de Geneve stripes. Copies show a plain rotor or a printed logo.
- Read the case back text. Reference number, serial, and Swiss Made should sit in even letter spacing.
- Check the serial with a boutique or an authorized service center. Audemars Piguet keeps records of every serial it produced.
- Ask for service history. A real 26470 can be serviced by the brand. A copy cannot.
Prices
New 26470ST watches left dealers near $25,000. Second-hand examples list between $17,000 and $25,000 depending on condition and box and papers. Gold references list higher. A $500 watch with a 26470 label is a copy at every price point.
Legal status in the US
18 U.S.C. 2320 makes trafficking in counterfeit goods a federal crime. A first offense carries up to 10 years in prison and a $2 million fine for an individual. 19 U.S.C. 1526 lets Customs and Border Protection seize and destroy imported goods that carry a counterfeit mark. Buyers get no warranty, no resale value, and no factory parts.
Legal ways to get the look
Three routes exist. Buy a genuine 26470 on the secondary market. Buy a genuine Audemars Piguet of another reference. Or buy a watch from a brand that sells its own octagonal chronograph design. Homage brands sell 42 mm octagonal chronographs for $200 to $600, with their own name on the dial and a valid warranty. Those watches are legal to import, legal to resell, and can be serviced.