Watch Paparazzi

Boxer Floyd Mayweather spotted wearing Audemars Piguet

Floyd Mayweather has never been subtle about his relationship with haute horlogerie, and a recent sighting confirmed the undefeated boxer on the wrist of one of Audemars Piguet's most labour-intensive creations: the Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph ref. 26215OR, a factory-set diamond piece in 18K rose gold that lists at approximately £250,000 in the UK market.

The reference 26215OR sits at the very top of the Royal Oak Offshore's diamond hierarchy. Its 44mm rose gold case, bezel, and integrated bracelet are set with 673 brilliant-cut diamonds, a process executed entirely in-house at Le Brassus by Audemars Piguet's own gem-setting atelier. Unlike aftermarket diamond conversions — common in celebrity circles — this is a certified factory configuration, meaning every stone placement meets the manufacture's exacting pavé and grain-setting standards. The dial retains the iconic AP 'méga tapisserie' pattern, here executed in a warm tone that complements the rose gold and diamond surround.

Powering the ref. 26215OR is the Audemars Piguet calibre 3126/3840, a self-winding integrated chronograph movement beating at 21,600 vph with a 50-hour power reserve. The column-wheel and lateral clutch mechanism delivers a precise, satisfying chronograph action, and the movement's finishing — rhodium-plated bridges, circular-graining, bevelled edges — is entirely appropriate for a piece at this price point. Water resistance is rated to 100 metres, a legacy of the Offshore's original 1993 brief as a sportier, more robust counterpart to the original 1972 Royal Oak.

For collectors, the 26215OR occupies a specific and somewhat polarising niche. Purists tend to favour unadorned AP metal references, but the factory diamond Offshore line has built a genuine secondary market of its own, underpinned by the scarcity of certified AP gem-set pieces and the difficulty of replicating that level of factory finishing. Provenance documentation matters enormously with references like this one.

Mayweather's watch collection — which includes multiple Patek Philippe grand complications, Richard Mille carbon flybacks, and a documented arsenal of AP Offshores — is one of the most photographed in professional sport. The ref. 26215OR, at its six-figure price point and with its unapologetically maximalist specification, is a natural fit for a collector who has consistently chosen factory excess over restraint.