Golfer Renato Paratore spotted wearing a Audemars Piguet

Renato Paratore clinched the British Masters at Close House in August 2020, becoming the first Italian to win on the European Tour after the circuit's pandemic-enforced hiatus. On his wrist throughout the celebrations was an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Automatic ref. 15500ST.OO.1220ST.01 — the blue dial, boutique-exclusive variant of AP's flagship stainless steel sports watch.

Launched in 2019 as the direct successor to the reference 15400ST, the Royal Oak 15500ST represented a significant engineering step for Le Brassus. Audemars Piguet replaced the longstanding calibre 3120 with the new in-house Manufacture 4302, a self-winding movement offering 70 hours of power reserve — up from 60 — with improved finishing throughout. The oscillating weight, bridges, and côtes de Genève decoration were all reworked. Case dimensions remain the classic 41mm in steel, with sapphire crystal and 50 metres of water resistance, but the dial received its most meaningful refresh in years: the Grande Tapisserie hobnail pattern is deeper, more geometric, and noticeably more luminous than on previous generations.

From a collector standpoint, the 15500ST arrived with immediate credibility. Enthusiasts who had closely tracked the 15400ST's limitations — particularly movement finishing relative to price — welcomed the 4302 as evidence that AP was reinvesting in the reference rather than coasting on its icon status. The blue dial boutique edition adds a layer of scarcity; unlike the standard blue 15500ST.OO.1220ST.04, this configuration was available exclusively through Audemars Piguet's own retail network, limiting secondary market supply.

Paratore, born in Rome in 1999, turned professional at 17 and became the youngest winner in European Tour history at the 2017 Nordea Masters. His affinity for the Royal Oak — one of the defining watches of Italian style-conscious sportspeople — fits a broader pattern of Tour players gravitating toward AP's steel sports references as their signature off-podium accessory.

On the grey market, the 15500ST in steel with blue dial commands a consistent premium over its list price, driven by tight boutique allocation and sustained global demand. New entrants to the Royal Oak universe frequently cite the 15500ST as the current definitive expression of the ref. 15202's fifty-year lineage.