Footballer Álvaro Arbeloa spotted wearing a Audemars Piguet

Following Real Madrid's dominant 3-0 Champions League quarter-final win over Wolfsburg, Spanish defender Álvaro Arbeloa was photographed wearing one of Audemars Piguet's most collector-coveted limited editions — the Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph 'LeBron James', reference 26210OI.OO.A109CR.01. The victory mood was evident, and so was Arbeloa's taste in high-horology sporting watches.

The Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph 'LeBron James' edition was produced in a strictly limited run of 600 pieces, making it a genuinely scarce object even at the time of release. The 44mm case is crafted in 18-carat pink gold — a material choice that elevates the Offshore's typically robust aesthetic into luxury territory. The dial features a distinctive brown 'Méga Tapisserie' pattern with contrasting sub-dials, while the strap combines brown hornback alligator leather with a pink gold AP folding clasp. The ref. 26210OI designation confirms the pink gold case variant within the broader Offshore Chronograph family.

Powering the watch is the Audemars Piguet calibre 3126/3840, a self-winding column-wheel chronograph movement with a 50-hour power reserve. The movement features a peripheral rotor and offers date indication alongside the flyback-capable chronograph function — a technically accomplished package wrapped inside the Gerald Genta-descended Royal Oak Offshore architecture first introduced in 1993.

The LeBron James collaboration carries genuine collector significance. AP has worked with the NBA superstar across multiple references, but the 26210OI is among the most restrained and wearable of the series — lacking the more ostentatious diamond-set versions while retaining the prestige of a named, pink gold, limited-release piece. Among footballers with serious watch collections, the Offshore Chronograph in precious metal is a recurring choice, and Arbeloa's selection of a 600-piece edition rather than a standard catalogue reference signals collector awareness rather than casual luxury spending.

At UK retail the piece was priced at approximately £35,000. On the secondary market, rose gold Offshore Chronograph limited editions of this calibre consistently command premiums, with the LeBron James reference trading meaningfully above retail among specialist dealers and auction platforms — a reflection of both the AP brand's sustained grey-market strength and the scarcity of the 600-piece allocation.