Footballer Fernandinho spotted wearing a Audemars Piguet

Fernandinho, the Brazilian defensive midfielder who served as a cornerstone of Manchester City's dominant Premier League era under Pep Guardiola, was spotted wearing an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph in the distinctive forged carbon and ceramic configuration — reference 26400AU.OO.A002CA.01. The sighting places the City captain firmly in the company of footballers who favour serious horological hardware over flashier, more obvious choices.

The Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph ref. 26400AU is a technical statement piece within AP's lineup. The 44mm case is constructed from forged carbon, a material that produces a unique, fingerprint-like pattern on every single watch, ensuring no two examples are identical. The black ceramic bezel adds scratch resistance while maintaining a monolithic, all-dark aesthetic. The dial echoes this palette in textured black, with the signature Royal Oak Offshore "Méga Tapisserie" pattern providing depth and texture under light.

At the heart of the watch sits Calibre 3126/3840, an automatic movement with column-wheel chronograph control, a 21,600 vph beat rate, and a generous 60-hour power reserve. The movement is a proven workhorse in AP's catalogue, robust and reliable while still carrying the finishing standards expected at this price point. Water resistance is rated to 100 metres, consistent with the Offshore's original brief as a sport-oriented evolution of the iconic Royal Oak.

The 26400AU reference occupies a specific niche among Royal Oak Offshore collectors: it avoids the loudness of the rubber-strap colour variants and the formality of precious metal references, sitting in a middle ground that appeals to those who want technical credibility with visual restraint. Forged carbon AP Offshores have maintained strong secondary market interest precisely because of that rarity of pattern and material.

Fernandinho's taste here reflects the broader trend among elite footballers gravitating toward watches with genuine manufacture credentials rather than pure status signalling. With a UK RRP of £26,900, the 26400AU sits at a meaningful entry point into AP's Offshore chronograph family, and grey market values have historically tracked at or above retail for carbon-cased references, reflecting steady collector demand.