Watch Paparazzi

Golfer Louis Oosthuizen spotted wearing Audemars Piguet

Louis Oosthuizen, the 2010 Open Championship winner and one of professional golf's most consistent major contenders, was recently spotted wearing an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph in white ceramic, reference 26402CB.OO.A010CA.01 — a piece that demands attention without raising its voice, much like Oosthuizen's own game.

The Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph ref. 26402CB.OO.A010CA.01 is built around a 44mm white ceramic case, one of the more technically ambitious material choices in AP's catalogue. Producing white ceramic to the tolerances required for luxury watchmaking is considerably harder than working with the more common black variant; the material must be sintered at extreme temperatures and any surface imperfection is immediately apparent. The case is paired with a white ceramic bezel and a white dial with contrasting grey subdials, lending the watch a clean, architectural coherence. Powering the piece is Audemars Piguet's calibre 3126/3840, a self-winding column-wheel chronograph movement with a 50-hour power reserve, visible through a sapphire caseback. The movement integrates the base 3120 with the 2385 chronograph module, delivering both reliability and finishing quality consistent with AP's manufacture standards.

The Royal Oak Offshore line was introduced in 1993 as a larger, more aggressive interpretation of Gerald Genta's original 1972 Royal Oak design. The Offshore quickly developed its own collector identity, attracting athletes, musicians, and watch enthusiasts who wanted the Royal Oak DNA in a sportier, more imposing package. The ceramic chronograph variants occupy a particularly desirable niche within that lineage — the material adds durability and a contemporary aesthetic while keeping weight surprisingly manageable on the wrist.

Oosthuizen's choice is apt. The Offshore Chronograph's robust legibility and sport-oriented construction align naturally with the demands of professional golf, and white ceramic is an unconventional enough selection to signal genuine watch knowledge rather than default brand loyalty.

On the market, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph ref. 26402CB.OO.A010CA.01 carries a UK retail price of approximately £27,100. In grey market terms, strong demand for ceramic AP Offshore references typically keeps secondary pricing at or modestly above retail, though availability fluctuates with broader collector sentiment toward the Offshore line.