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Footballer Benjamin Mendy spotted wearing Audemars Piguet

Benjamin Mendy, the French international left-back then at the heart of Manchester City's Premier League title challenges, was recently spotted wearing one of Audemars Piguet's most desirable sports-luxury chronographs — the Royal Oak Chronograph in 18kt rose gold, reference 26331OR. The sighting places Mendy firmly among the growing cohort of elite footballers who have moved well beyond entry-level luxury and into serious collector territory.

The Royal Oak Chronograph 26331OR is built around a 41mm case crafted entirely in 18kt rose gold, paired with an integrated bracelet in matching metal. The dial — in the Royal Oak's signature 'Grande Tapisserie' pattern — is presented in a warm slate-grey tone that plays beautifully against the rose gold case and applied hour markers. Water resistance is rated to 50 metres, and the case profile retains Genta's unmistakable octagonal bezel secured by eight hexagonal screws, as iconic today as it was radical in 1972.

Powering the 26331OR is Audemars Piguet's Calibre 2385, an integrated, self-winding chronograph movement with a column wheel and lateral clutch, beating at 21,600 vph with a power reserve of approximately 40 hours. The movement is a genuine manufacture calibre — no outsourced ébauche — and its integration into the ultra-thin Royal Oak case remains one of the great technical achievements in Swiss watchmaking. The chronograph subdials sit at 3 and 9 o'clock, with the date window at 4:30, maintaining perfect visual symmetry.

Among collectors, the full rose gold Royal Oak Chronograph occupies a distinct tier. It carries the sporting DNA of the stainless-steel references but adds a level of material luxury that pushes it firmly into precious-metals territory. The 26331OR is regarded as a statement piece — less understated than the steel 26320ST but more approachable in wearability than some of AP's more avant-garde complications.

At a UK list price of £47,800, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph 26331OR is not an impulse buy even for a Premier League footballer. On the grey market, rose gold Royal Oak Chronographs have consistently traded at or above retail, reflecting the enduring demand for any full-gold Royal Oak variant. For Mendy, it is a watch entirely in keeping with both his profile and his apparent passion for the finer end of Swiss horology.