Watch Paparazzi

Footballer Virgil Van Dijk spotted wearing Audemars Piguet

Virgil van Dijk was photographed departing for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar wearing a watch that few footballers — or collectors — could claim to have on the wrist: the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar in blue ceramic, reference 26579CS. The sighting placed one of the most technically complex and visually distinctive Royal Oaks in recent memory squarely in the global spotlight.

The 26579CS is built around Audemars Piguet's Calibre 5134, a self-winding perpetual calendar movement beating at 19,800 vph with a 40-hour power reserve. The movement displays date, day, month, moon phase, and leap year cycle simultaneously — and is programmed to require no date correction until March 1, 2100. What makes the reference exceptional is its 41mm case and integrated bracelet crafted entirely in forged blue ceramic, a material that AP spent considerable development time mastering to hold the sharp angles and brushed-versus-polished finishing contrast that defines the Gerald Genta-designed Royal Oak silhouette first introduced in 1972.

From a collector standpoint, ceramic Royal Oaks occupy a specific and respected niche. The material offers near-scratch-proof hardness and a depth of colour that metal cannot replicate, while simultaneously demanding greater manufacturing precision. The blue ceramic 26579CS was released in limited numbers and drew immediate attention on the secondary market. Pairing ceramic with a perpetual calendar complication — rather than the more common time-only or chronograph variants — signals AP's commitment to positioning technical haute horlogerie within contemporary materials.

Van Dijk's choice carries weight beyond aesthetics. As captain of the Dutch national side and one of world football's defining defensive players, his profile at a World Cup commands genuine media visibility. Wearing a reference retailing at approximately $147,500 to a major international tournament underscores both his personal investment in serious watchmaking and a broader trend of elite footballers gravitating toward high-complication Swiss independents.

On the grey market, demand for ceramic Royal Oaks with complications has consistently pushed prices above retail. The 26579CS typically trades between $160,000 and $185,000 depending on condition and documentation, reflecting both AP's controlled supply and collector appetite for this specific configuration.