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Actor Matthew Macfayden spotted wearing Audemars Piguet

When Succession's wardrobe department dressed Tom Wambsgans for the Season 4 premiere, they reached for something that communicated arrival — not old money, but the convincing facsimile of it. On Matthew Macfayden's wrist sits the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph Ref. 26331ST, a 41mm stainless steel piece with a black dial and contrasting white subdials, and it reads exactly like the character: polished, aspirational, and sharper than anyone gives him credit for.

The 26331ST houses Audemars Piguet's Calibre 2385, a column-wheel chronograph movement beating at 21,600 vph with a 40-hour power reserve. The 41mm case follows Gerald Genta's iconic octagonal bezel and integrated bracelet architecture introduced in 1972, here executed in steel with the tapisserie dial pattern that remains one of the most recognizable surfaces in luxury watchmaking. The black dial variant with white registers occupies a particularly sharp aesthetic corner — more dramatic than the classic slate, more wearable than the fully dark execution.

From a collector standpoint, the 26331ST in this specific configuration carries real significance precisely because Audemars Piguet has since moved on. The model no longer appears in the current Royal Oak Chronograph lineup in this dial combination, and that discontinuation has done what discontinuations almost always do: concentrated demand. Enthusiasts who missed it at retail are now competing on the grey market, where the conversation starts around $50,000 USD — a meaningful premium over its original list price.

Macfayden has worn understated, credible watches throughout Succession's run, but the costume team clearly escalated for the final season. Tom Wambsgans arriving at a Waystar Royco crossroads in an AP Royal Oak Chronograph is not a subtle choice — it signals a character who has studied power closely enough to dress the part convincingly. The watch does real narrative work here.

On the secondary market, the 26331ST in steel with this dial configuration is a genuine find. Its combination of a desirable in-house movement, discontinued status, and the broader Royal Oak collector ecosystem — where demand has only solidified over the past decade — keeps it relevant well beyond the screen.