Watch Paparazzi

Footballer Erling Haaland spotted wearing Audemars Piguet

Erling Haaland was photographed ahead of a UEFA Champions League match against Ajax, his wrist carrying the unmistakable geometry of an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph in stainless steel with a blue dial — reference 26331ST. The sighting placed one of football's most clinical finishers alongside one of horology's most architecturally significant sports watches, a pairing that felt entirely deliberate.

The Royal Oak Chronograph 26331ST is built around Audemars Piguet's Calibre 2385, an integrated column-wheel chronograph movement developed entirely in-house. Running at 21,600 vph with a 40-hour power reserve, the movement is visible through a sapphire caseback and represents a meaningful technical step beyond many competitors' ebauche-based chronographs. The 41mm stainless steel case follows Gerald Genta's 1972 blueprint faithfully — eight-sided bezel, exposed hexagonal screws, satin-brushed flanks contrasted against polished chamfers — while the electric blue Grande Tapisserie dial adds the kind of depth that shifts with available light. Applied hour markers in white gold and a matching blue pushpiece-and-crown ensemble complete the execution.

Among collectors, the 26331ST occupies a well-respected position within the Royal Oak family. The integrated-chronograph Royal Oak has historically traded at a premium over its three-hand siblings on the secondary market, partly due to lower production volumes and partly because the complication flatters Genta's dial layout without overwhelming it. Blue-dial steel configurations consistently outperform equivalent white or silver-dial variants at auction and through grey-market channels.

Haaland's affinity for high-specification watches has been well-documented since his rise through the Bundesliga. At the time of this sighting, still representing Borussia Dortmund before his landmark move to Manchester City, the Norwegian was already one of Europe's most commercially visible athletes. A Champions League context only amplifies the exposure — and the watch choice reads as considered rather than coincidental.

At a retail price of approximately $31,900, the Royal Oak Chronograph 26331ST already commands a premium over entry-level luxury chronographs. On the grey market, however, demand has pushed valuations toward $70,000, reflecting the broader Royal Oak supply constraints that have defined Audemars Piguet's market position throughout the early 2020s. Haaland's visibility wearing the 26331ST does nothing to cool that demand.