Footballer Timoué Bakayoko spotted wearing a Audemars Piguet

When Timoué Bakayoko arrived at Chelsea, cameras caught more than just his football kit. On his wrist sat an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak in stainless steel — reference 15400ST — a watch that carries one of the most consequential design histories in modern horology.

The 15400ST measures 41mm in stainless steel and represents the direct successor to the long-running 15300ST. Its octagonal bezel with eight exposed hex screws, integrated bracelet, and Grande Tapisserie dial are all faithful to Gérald Genta's original 1972 blueprint, yet the 15400ST updated the package with a larger case and the superior calibre 3120 movement. That self-winding movement beats at 21,600 vph, offers a 60-hour power reserve, and was engineered entirely by AP's Le Brassus manufacture — a genuine in-house movement by any serious definition.

The 15400ST entered production around 2012 and remained in the Royal Oak catalogue until it was replaced by the 15500ST in 2020. That generational succession has, predictably, sharpened collector interest in the outgoing reference. The 15400ST is now regarded as the last Royal Oak to carry the classic, slightly flatter case profile that purists associate with the original spirit of the line. Its dial variants — silver, black, blue, and white — each command their own following, with the blue and black examples trading at meaningful premiums on the secondary market.

Bakayoko's choice is consistent with the broader pattern among elite European footballers who treat serious watchmaking as a legitimate cultural interest rather than a status shortcut. The Royal Oak, and the 15400ST specifically, sits in a sweet spot: immediately recognisable to anyone with watch knowledge, yet restrained enough to wear with an everyday wardrobe.

At UK list, the 15400ST was priced around £15,000 at its retail availability — roughly $19,500 USD at contemporary exchange rates. On the grey market today, strong demand and the reference's discontinued status have pushed prices considerably above retail, with clean examples in full set regularly achieving $25,000 to $30,000 depending on dial colour and condition. For a footballer of Bakayoko's profile, it reads as a considered first move into serious collecting.