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Footballer Karim Benzema spotted wearing Audemars Piguet

Karim Benzema, the Ballon d'Or-winning striker then leading Real Madrid's attack, was photographed wearing the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar reference 26574OR — a timepiece that represents the technical apex of the Royal Oak collection and a statement of genuine horological literacy.

The 26574OR sits at the summit of the standard Royal Oak lineup. Its 41mm 18K pink gold case — designated by the 'OR' suffix in the reference — houses calibre 5134, a self-winding movement beating at 19,800 vph with a 40-hour power reserve. The dial presents a perpetual calendar displaying date, day, month, and leap year via integrated subdials, alongside a moon phase display accurate to one day's drift every 122 years. The movement requires no manual correction until March 1, 2100. On the integrated pink gold bracelet, every element of Genta's original 1972 design language is preserved while complexity is layered beneath.

The Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar has been a cornerstone of the AP catalogue since its introduction in 1984, making it one of the longest-running perpetual calendar references in Swiss watchmaking. The 26574OR — launched as part of AP's contemporary lineup — updates the case dimensions and finishing standards to modern expectations while maintaining the mechanical DNA of its predecessors. Among collectors, pink gold Royal Oak complications carry particular desirability: the warm case metal softens the sports-luxury aesthetic while adding precious metal credibility to an already serious complication.

Benzema's watch collection is well-documented among football and horology circles alike. The Frenchman has been spotted across multiple AP references, Patek Philippe complications, and Richard Mille pieces — demonstrating a collecting approach oriented toward mechanical substance rather than pure visibility. Choosing the 26574OR over more visually aggressive alternatives says something considered about his taste.

On the market, the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar ref. 26574OR commands significant premiums in grey market conditions, reflecting both the scarcity of AP's pink gold production allocations and sustained global demand for the Royal Oak family. The UK list price of approximately £73,000 translates to a retail positioning well above six figures at USD equivalents, with secondary market values historically tracking above retail for desirable references in precious metal.