Tennis player Stanislas Wawrinka spotted wearing a Audemars Piguet

Swiss tennis icon Stanislas Wawrinka was spotted wearing the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph reference 26331IP — a discontinued limited edition of 500 pieces — paired with a black rubber strap, the kind of low-key, functional choice that signals a genuine collector rather than a brand showcase.

The 26331IP was released to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Royal Oak Chronograph, a lineage that traces back to 1997 when Audemars Piguet introduced the integrated-pushers chronograph to the iconic octagonal Gerald Genta-designed case. Reference 26331IP's most technically arresting feature is its material specification: a Grade 5 titanium case and bracelet body juxtaposed with a polished platinum bezel and platinum integrated bracelet links — a two-material architecture that is both visually distinctive and extraordinarily difficult to finish consistently. The slate-grey dial carries blue-tinted subsidiary counters at 3, 6, and 9 o'clock, a chromatic nod to vintage AP dials that gives the watch an understated depth under different lighting conditions. Powering the watch is Calibre 2385, AP's column-wheel integrated chronograph movement with a 40-hour power reserve, operating at 21,600 vph — a proven, robust architecture that has anchored the Royal Oak Chronograph family for decades.

From a collector standpoint, the 26331IP occupies a compelling niche. The titanium-platinum material pairing was used sparingly across AP's anniversary editions, making surviving examples genuinely scarce. Its 500-piece production cap, combined with its now-discontinued status, means the secondary market is driven almost entirely by patient collectors rather than flippers — a dynamic that tends to produce price stability over time rather than volatile spikes.

Wawrinka has been an Audemars Piguet ambassador for years, and his wrist choices consistently reflect an educated palate: he gravitates toward technically significant, often limited references rather than the house's highest-profile catalogue staples. Spotting him on a rubber strap variant of the 26331IP rather than the full bracelet suggests daily-wear comfort without sacrificing the watch's identity.

On the grey market, the 26331IP trades at a meaningful premium above its original retail position, reflecting both the discontinued status and the growing collector appetite for anniversary-edition Royal Oaks with non-standard material combinations. Buyers chasing this reference should expect to search carefully — clean examples with original bracelet components are increasingly rare.