Athlete Filippo Magnini spotted wearing a Audemars Piguet

Italian swimming icon Filippo Magnini was recently spotted wearing a stainless steel Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph ref. 26331ST, featuring the model's iconic blue Grande Tapisserie dial with contrasting silver sub-registers. The sighting offered a clean look at one of AP's most technically accomplished sports watches on the wrist of one of Italy's most decorated competitive swimmers.

The Royal Oak Chronograph ref. 26331ST is built around Audemars Piguet's in-house calibre 2385, an integrated column-wheel chronograph movement that measures just 5.5mm in height. Running at 21,600 vph (3Hz), it delivers a 40-hour power reserve and features a lateral clutch for smooth chronograph engagement. The movement sits inside a 41mm stainless steel case with the Royal Oak's defining octagonal bezel secured by eight hexagonal screws — a design Gerald Genta delivered in a single night back in 1972. The integrated steel bracelet with alternating brushed and polished links remains one of the most imitated constructions in the industry.

The blue dial variant of the 26331ST occupies a special place in collector consciousness. The contrast between the deep blue Tapisserie-patterned dial and the silver-toned chronograph counters at 3, 6, and 9 o'clock creates a visual hierarchy that reads clearly both on the wrist and in photographs. Within the broader Royal Oak Chronograph family — which spans rose gold, white gold, and two-tone configurations — the steel-and-blue combination is consistently the most liquid reference on secondary markets.

Magnini, a two-time World Champion in the 100m freestyle and a figure synonymous with Italian sporting excellence, brings appropriate credibility to a watch that was itself conceived as a luxury sports instrument. The pairing of an elite athlete with an integrated-bracelet sports chronograph is entirely coherent rather than merely aspirational.

On the market, the ref. 26331ST carries an official retail price in the region of $36,600 USD. Grey-market demand for the blue-dial configuration regularly pushes transaction prices above list, reflecting the persistent gap between AP's controlled distribution and collector appetite for steel Royal Oak references.