Watch Paparazzi

Footballer Xabi Alonso spotted wearing Audemars Piguet

Xabi Alonso, one of football's most cerebral midfielders, was recently spotted wearing an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph in 18-karat rose gold — reference 26320OR.OO.D002CR.01 — a pairing that feels entirely in character for a player whose career has been defined by precision and composure.

The 26320OR.OO.D002CR.01 is built around the Royal Oak's iconic 41mm case in rose gold, featuring the signature octagonal bezel secured by eight hexagonal screws — Gerald Genta's 1972 design language rendered in warm precious metal. The dial is a rich brown 'Grande Tapisserie' — AP's distinctive hobnail pattern — with contrasting rose gold applied indices and a tachymeter scale on the bezel. Two subsidiary chronograph registers sit at 3 and 9 o'clock, maintaining the dial's architectural balance. The watch is finished on a dark brown alligator leather strap with a rose gold AP folding buckle.

At its heart sits the calibre 2385, an integrated column-wheel chronograph movement that AP developed in collaboration with Jaeger-LeCoultre. It beats at 21,600 vph, offers a 40-hour power reserve, and is finished to a standard that rewards close inspection — Geneva stripes, bevelled bridges, and a detailed rotor visible through the sapphire caseback. The integration of the chronograph mechanism into the movement architecture, rather than bolting it on as a module, is a technical hallmark that serious collectors respect.

The Royal Oak Chronograph occupies a compelling position within the Royal Oak family. It offers more complication than the core 15400/15500 series without the price stratosphere of the Minute Repeater or Tourbillon references. The rose gold variant with brown dial is considered one of the more versatile and wearable configurations — formal enough for the paddock or the boardroom, but robust in character. Alonso's choice of this specific reference signals a collector's sensibility rather than a purely trophy purchase.

On the market, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph ref. 26320OR.OO.D002CR.01 carries an official retail price in the region of $38,000–$40,000 USD. On the grey market, rose gold Royal Oak Chronographs in this configuration have traded at modest premiums, typically landing between $42,000 and $48,000 depending on condition and provenance — a relatively grounded premium compared to the steel variants, which remain far harder to acquire at retail.