Boxer Anthony Joshua spotted wearing a Audemars Piguet

At a London press conference promoting his upcoming bout, heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua arrived with the kind of wrist presence that draws as much attention as the man himself — a stainless steel Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph reference 26238ST on a matching blue rubber strap, its bold blue Méga Tapisserie dial impossible to miss under the camera lights.

The 26238ST sits in the current Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph lineup at 43mm in stainless steel, housing AP's proprietary Calibre 4401 — a movement that marked a watershed moment for the manufacture when it debuted. The 4401 is a fully integrated, self-winding flyback chronograph beating at 4Hz with a 70-hour power reserve, featuring a column wheel and horizontal clutch. It replaced the previous generation's outsourced Frederic Piguet base and confirmed AP's commitment to in-house manufacture across the Offshore range. The blue Méga Tapisserie dial is a scaled-up interpretation of the Petite Tapisserie that Gerald Genta originally conceived for the Royal Oak in 1972, here executed in deep electric blue with contrasting pushers and subdials.

Among collectors, the 26238ST occupies a specific niche: it delivers the full Offshore chronograph experience in a material-neutral, strap-driven configuration that feels more versatile than the bracelet variants. The reference has built a reputation for durability and legibility, and the blue dial version in particular has shown consistent demand. It is considered an entry point into serious AP collecting without the stratospheric premiums attached to the ceramic or titanium iterations.

Joshua's relationship with high-end horology is well documented. The former unified heavyweight champion has been photographed with a rotating collection of statement pieces, and the Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph suits both his frame and his public persona — large, purposeful, technically serious beneath the aesthetic drama.

At retail, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph 26238ST carries a list price of approximately $35,500. On the grey market, however, demand has pushed values to roughly $78,000 — more than double retail — reflecting the sustained appetite for steel AP sports watches in a market where authorised dealer allocations remain tightly controlled.