Golfer Lee Westwood spotted wearing a Audemars Piguet

Lee Westwood claimed his 25th European Tour victory at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, and the watch on his wrist during the trophy presentation was every bit as noteworthy as the achievement itself. The British golfer wore the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph reference 26402CB — a discontinued white ceramic model that has quietly become one of the more sought-after pieces in the Offshore family.

The Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph ref. 26402CB is built around a 44mm case machined from white ceramic, a material that demands significantly more complex tooling than steel or titanium and gives the watch a cool, almost architectural presence on the wrist. The dial is a light silver, setting off the blue counters — hours, minutes, and running seconds — with sharp chromatic contrast. Inside beats Calibre 3126/3840, AP's in-house automatic chronograph movement offering approximately 50 hours of power reserve. The tapisserie pattern on the dial and the integrated rubber strap with ceramic deployant buckle are signature Offshore details executed with precision.

Audemars Piguet introduced ceramic variants of the Royal Oak Offshore in the 2010s as part of a broader push into advanced materials. The 26402CB sat firmly in the upper tier of the Offshore range, both in price and in exclusivity. Since its discontinuation, collector interest has grown steadily — white ceramic Offshore chronographs surface rarely at auction, and when they do, condition and box-and-papers completeness drive results sharply upward.

Westwood is a known AP enthusiast, and the choice of the 26402CB reads as deliberate rather than incidental. Ceramic Royal Oak Offshores have long appealed to athletes drawn to scratch resistance and low-maintenance wearability without sacrificing visual impact. Wearing a discontinued reference at a major tour event only adds to the watch's visibility in collector circles.

The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph ref. 26402CB carried an original retail price in the region of $38,000–$42,000 USD. On today's grey market, where white ceramic Offshore chronographs command a premium driven by scarcity, expect current valuations to sit comfortably above retail — particularly for examples in unworn or near-mint condition.