Watch Paparazzi

Footballer Mehdi Carcela spotted wearing Audemars Piguet

Mehdi Carcela, the Moroccan winger who has built his career at Benfica, was recently photographed wearing one of the most recognised references in modern watchmaking — the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 41mm in stainless steel, reference 15400ST.OO.1220ST.02. The blue "Grande Tapisserie" dial catches immediately, and on a footballer's wrist it reads exactly as intended: confident, expensive, unfussy.

The 15400ST.OO.1220ST.02 was introduced in 2012 as the direct successor to the 15300ST, itself the evolution of the original Gerald Genta-designed Royal Oak that debuted in 1972. Housed in a 41mm stainless steel case with an integrated bracelet — arguably the most imitated design in the history of luxury watchmaking — this reference carries the Calibre 3120 automatic movement. That self-winding manufacture calibre offers 60 hours of power reserve, beats at 21,600 vph, and features a peripheral rotor that keeps the movement fully visible from the display caseback. Water resistance stands at 50 metres. The combination of brushed and polished surfaces on the case and bracelet remains one of the most technically demanding finishing jobs in the industry.

Among collectors, the 15400ST held a bittersweet status. It was the standard-bearer Royal Oak for nearly nine years, yet it always lived slightly in the shadow of the smaller, more collectible 15202ST Jumbo. When Audemars Piguet discontinued the 15400ST in 2021 in favour of the updated 15500ST — which brought a thinner profile, a new dial texture, and the Calibre 7121 — the outgoing reference quietly appreciated on the grey market, particularly the blue-dial variants.

Carcela has long shown an affinity for quality timepieces, and the Royal Oak sits naturally in the football world's upper tier of watch choices — serious enough for connoisseurs, recognisable enough for everyone else. It is neither the flashiest nor the most complicated option at this price point, which is precisely what makes it a considered choice.

Retail on the 15400ST.OO.1220ST.02 sat around $19,600 USD at the time of discontinuation. On today's grey market, clean examples with box and papers typically trade between $22,000 and $27,000 USD depending on condition, service history, and seller location — a modest but steady premium that reflects the reference's growing discontinued-model cachet.