Watch Paparazzi

Boxer Amir Khan spotted wearing Audemars Piguet

When Amir Khan stepped in front of the cameras to announce his long-anticipated clash with Kell Brook on February 19, 2022, the horological detail that caught the eye of watch enthusiasts was the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph Reference 26239BC glinting on his wrist — a piece that commands attention on its own terms, well beyond the celebrity wearing it.

The 26239BC is built around a 41mm case crafted entirely in 18K white gold and finished using the frosted gold technique developed in collaboration with Florentine goldsmith Carolina Bucci. The process involves thousands of tiny indentations hammered into the metal surface with a burnishing tool, creating a granular, light-scattering texture that stands apart from both polished and satin-brushed surfaces. The dial echoes the tapisserie Grande Tapisserie pattern central to Royal Oak identity, executed in blue, and is complemented by white gold applied indices and hands. Powering the piece is Audemars Piguet's Calibre 2385, a column-wheel integrated chronograph beating at 21,600 vph with approximately 40 hours of power reserve — a movement with genuine mechanical pedigree in the AP manufacture.

The Royal Oak Chronograph line traces its roots to Gerald Genta's original 1972 Royal Oak design, with the chronograph variant introduced in 1997. The 26239 generation, launched as part of the broader frosted gold collaboration first unveiled in 2016, quickly established itself as a collector favourite — the frosted finish transformed an already iconic sports-luxury reference into something distinctly precious without sacrificing the Royal Oak's architectural rigour.

For Khan, a boxer who has long demonstrated an appetite for high-complication luxury timepieces, the 26239BC fits a pattern of wearing pieces that sit at the intersection of sporting heritage and fine watchmaking. Announcing a domestic grudge match against Kell Brook — a fight with significant national interest in British boxing — while wearing a six-figure AP sends a clear message about the stature both fighters attached to the event.

On the market, the 26239BC tells an equally compelling story. With a list price of approximately $73,200, the reference has traded on the secondary market at levels approaching $235,000, reflecting a grey-market premium of over 200 percent. White gold Royal Oak Chronographs with the frosted finish remain tightly allocated, and demand from both serious collectors and high-profile buyers shows no sign of softening.