Hotel Byblos has just recently celebrated their 50th anniversary in the coastal town of St. Tropez on the French Riviera, which highlighted a legendary birthday gift; an exclusive line of new Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Summer Editions. The celebration had many world-famous labels in attendance from Rolls-Royce Motor Cars to vintage champagne maker Dom Pérignon. The exclusive Royal Oak Offshore Hotel Byblos collection pays homage to the 5-star hotel with a limited 70 examples, of which introduces 50 men’s watches and 20 women’s watches.
Hotel Byblos, which was inspired by Beirut’s Excelsior Hotel, began construction in 1965 and finished two years later in 1967. Situated North of the Places des Lices and built with its own Provençal village, Hotel Byblos became a luxury resort second to none. Hosting the most epic parties and world-class celebrations throughout the coastal town, the hotel made a name for itself as one of the finest in all of the French Riviera. After two years, Hotel Byblos was obtained by Group Floirat as they proved its worth as “the” place to stay whether it be for the week or simply a single day to host social gatherings and other celebratory events.
The current Hotel Byblos and its Provençal village offers a 17,000 square metre venue along with ninety-one opulent guest rooms. Not only does the 5-star hotel cater to the numerous elites and celebrities that make their way towards the French Riviera, but also the hotel itself has been known to serve as host to various luxury brands across the globe. As a result of the close partnership between both CEO of Le Byblos Saint-Tropez Antoine Chevanne and Audemars Piguet CEO François-Henry Bennahmias for the last two years, the celebratory event was a raging success in commemorating the 50 years since Hotel Byblos was founded. The collaboration has even become known as the “BAP”, pronounced as Be Happy or abbreviated as “Byblos Audemars Piguet” collection.
This collaboration created a long-lasting friendship and unveiled an outstanding outcome, in which brought together glory for both Hotel Byblos and Audemars Piguet. “Antoine and I got on really well from the moment we met”, said François. “Not only is he a watch lover, but there was this instantaneous dynamic between the two of us with a similar vision of the future. We had to be a part of all this, you can’t miss Hotel Byblos turning 50 years young!”
The limited Summer Edition Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore collection that were designed to honor Hotel Byblos are set in two separate variations; a men’s model in 18kt pink gold and a women’s diamond-set piece in stainless steel. The pink gold 44mm Royal Oak Offshore Hotel Byblos men’s edition includes an automatic chronograph 3126 calibre that is visible through the caseback. In addition, both variants feature an identical caseback engraved with Hotel Byblos’s anniversary dates alongside its coat of arms portraying the legend of Byblos: the abduction of Europa at the hands of Zeus.
For more information visit: Byblos-50th-Birthday
