Footballer Luis Suarez spotted wearing a Audemars Piguet

Luis Suarez, then cutting through defences for FC Barcelona, was photographed wearing the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph in titanium, reference 26400IO — a piece that sits at the more restrained, technically serious end of the Offshore family's notoriously loud catalogue.

The Royal Oak Offshore Ref. 26400IO measures 44mm in grade-5 titanium, paired with a black ceramic bezel and a smoked, slate-toned dial. Inside runs the Calibre 3126/3840, a column-wheel integrated chronograph movement developed entirely in-house at Le Brassus. It oscillates at 21,600 vph, delivers a 60-hour power reserve, and drives a flyback-adjacent column-wheel chronograph. The titanium bracelet — also a defining detail of this reference — reduces overall weight dramatically compared to the steel or gold variants, making the 44mm case far less imposing on the wrist than the dimensions suggest.

The 26400IO was introduced as part of Audemars Piguet's broader Royal Oak Offshore redesign push in the early 2010s, refining the original Gerald Genta-era "Beast" silhouette with cleaner integrated lugs and improved ergonomics. The titanium-and-ceramic specification gives it a matte, almost industrial character that appeals to collectors who want the Offshore's sporting DNA without the showmanship of a gold or forged-carbon variant. Among AP enthusiasts, this reference is regarded as a sleeper — technically accomplished, understated by Offshore standards, and genuinely comfortable for daily wear.

Suarez is a well-documented watch collector whose wrist has hosted pieces spanning Rolex, Richard Mille, and Audemars Piguet. The choice of a titanium Offshore rather than a more visually aggressive variant speaks to a degree of horological literacy — this is the specification a collector reaches for when they know what they want from the movement and the material, not just the logo.

At the time of the sighting, the UK list price sat at £26,900. On the grey market, demand for titanium Offshore chronograph references has remained steady, with the 26400IO trading at a modest premium or near retail depending on condition and box-and-papers status — a reflection of its solid but unflashy collector profile.