In 2002, Audemars Piguet joined forces with Ernesto Bertarelli to support the Alinghi Team from Switzerland. At the end of the Louis Vuitton Cup regattas, the Alinghi sailboat won the Challenger title and earned the right to face the New Zealand team in the 31st America's Cup. On 2nd March 2003, Alinghi crossed the finish line to win the Cup. Since then, Audemars Piguet has renewed its sponsorship of the Alinghi team.

To celebrate the anniversary of Alinghi's victory and the now legendary sailboat for the 32nd America's Cup, Audemars Piguet in 2007 issued a new chronograph, the Royal Oak Offshore Alinghi Team. The watchmakers at Le Brassus chose an innovative material to case the new timepiece that is a complete novelty in watchmaking - forged carbon, worked by the in-house forged carbon team using a process borrowed from the aeronautics industry.

Developed with excellent shock resistance, the Alinghi Team Chronograph embodies the alliance between the worlds of competitive sailing and luxury watchmaking. Designed with America's Cup regattas in mind, the timepiece has a flyback chronograph with 10-minute countdown function, both in keeping with the 11-minute race start rule. The dial reflects many elements of the nautical world - the Alinghi logo, bright red accents, and the counter hands shaped like the prow of a ship.

The Royal Oak Offshore Alinghi Team Chronograph is limited to 2,007 examples - 1,300 entirely in forged carbon, 600 in pink gold with forged carbon bezel and 107 examples in platinum with forged carbon bezel.