Watch Paparazzi

Golfer Ian Poulter spotted wearing Audemars Piguet

Ian Poulter was photographed on the range ahead of the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai sporting one of Audemars Piguet's most technically ambitious Royal Oak variants to date — the Royal Oak Double Balance Wheel Openworked in black ceramic, a reference that had only landed publicly ten days prior. For a watch that has barely cleared its press embargo, seeing it on the wrist of one of golf's most style-conscious professionals is a notable early sighting.

The watch is built around AP's in-house Calibre 3132, a self-winding movement that incorporates the manufacture's patented double balance wheel system — two balance wheels connected by a differential gear that averages out positional errors between them, improving chronometric precision without resorting to a tourbillon. The result is COSC-certified accuracy in a movement that is architecturally dramatic enough to justify full openworking. The skeletonized slate-grey mainplate and bridges are finished to AP's exacting standard of alternating brushed and polished surfaces, with pink gold applied indices and Royal Oak hands providing warmth against the dark negative space.

The case and integrated bracelet are executed entirely in black ceramic — a material AP has used selectively on Royal Oak pieces for over a decade, valued for its scratch resistance and deep, non-reflective finish. At 41mm, the proportions sit squarely in the modern Royal Oak sweet spot. The iconic octagonal bezel with its eight visible screws remains, here in matching black ceramic, preserving Gerald Genta's original geometry while giving the piece a stealth, monochromatic character that contrasts with the warm rose-gold movement details visible through the dial.

Poulter is a long-documented AP enthusiast whose collection has included multiple Royal Oak and Royal Oak Offshore references over the years. His choice to debut this ceramic openworked piece on the course — one of the brand's most exclusive new introductions — aligns with his reputation as an early adopter of high-specification timepieces. The DP World Tour Championship setting, itself a title-sponsor relationship between his tour and DP World, adds a layer of brand alignment to the sighting.

At a retail price of $99,750, the black ceramic Double Balance Wheel Openworked sits in rarefied territory even within the Royal Oak family. Grey-market demand for ceramic AP references has historically outpaced supply, and with this reference being brand new, secondary market premiums are expected to be significant. Collectors should expect allocation to be extremely tight through authorized dealers.