Footballer Ivan Rakitic spotted wearing a Audemars Piguet

During a relaxed team gathering ahead of a Croatia national squad fixture, midfielder Ivan Rakitic was photographed holding a custom matryoshka doll painted in his likeness — a charming detail that somewhat distracted from the considerably more serious horological statement on his wrist. Visible beneath the cuff of his Nike Croatia hoodie is an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph in stainless steel, identifiable by its signature blue Petit Tapisserie dial and silver-toned subdials.

The watch in question is almost certainly reference 26320ST.OO.1220ST.03 — the current-generation Royal Oak Chronograph in full stainless steel, introduced as part of AP's broader Royal Oak refresh. The 41mm octagonal case retains Gerald Genta's original 1972 geometry while the movement has been updated to the Calibre 2385, a self-winding column-wheel chronograph with integrated construction, offering approximately 40 hours of power reserve and beating at 21,600 vph. The blue dial variant specifically features the house's iconic Petit Tapisserie guilloche pattern, white gold applied indices, and silver opaline subdials at 3 and 9 o'clock for running seconds and 30-minute counter respectively, with a date window at 6.

From a collector's standpoint, the Royal Oak Chronograph occupies a distinct niche. It is neither the entry point into the Royal Oak family nor the crown jewel — that role belongs to the perpetual calendars and tourbillons — but it represents the sweet spot of mechanical substance and daily wearability. The blue-dialled steel configuration consistently outperforms its rose gold siblings on the grey market in terms of demand-to-availability ratio.

Rakitic, who spent the most celebrated years of his career at FC Barcelona before stints at Sevilla and Inter Miami, has long been associated with understated European taste. The choice of a steel AP rather than a more ostentatious yellow-gold complication is consistent with that aesthetic sensibility — serious enough to signal connoisseurship without announcing itself loudly.

At a list price of approximately $24,300, this reference sits firmly in the 'unobtainium at retail' category. Grey market premiums have historically pushed real-world transaction prices to the $28,000–$33,000 range depending on market conditions, making Rakitic's wrist a notable place to spot one.