Footballer John Terry spotted wearing a Audemars Piguet

John Terry, one of the most decorated defenders in Premier League history and currently serving as assistant coach at Aston Villa under Unai Emery, was recently spotted wearing the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Double Balance Wheel Openworked in stainless steel, reference 15407ST — a watch that rewards close inspection as much as Terry's reading of the game once rewarded attentive viewers.

The Royal Oak Openworked 15407ST is built around the Calibre 3132, a manually wound skeletonised movement that incorporates AP's patented double balance wheel system. Two balance wheels, coupled by a differential gear, work in tandem to average out positional errors — a genuine mechanical solution to a genuine mechanical problem. The result is improved rate stability across positions without resorting to electronic assistance. The movement is finished to exhibition standard on both sides, with bevelled bridges, Côtes de Genève, and blued screws visible through the fully openworked dial.

The 41mm stainless steel case follows Gerald Genta's iconic octagonal bezel design introduced in 1972, but the openworked execution transforms what is already a recognisable silhouette into something considerably more complex. The 15407ST sits within the Royal Oak collection as a complication piece that prioritises mechanical ingenuity over calendar functions or chronograph complications — a position that earns it serious respect among movement-focused collectors.

For collectors, the 15407ST occupies a nuanced place in the Royal Oak hierarchy. It lacks the cultural cachet of the 15202 Jumbo or the hype of limited ceramic references, yet its movement architecture is arguably more technically interesting than most of the line. Production numbers are modest, and the piece attracts buyers who understand what they are looking at — a demographic that tends to hold rather than flip.

At list price of $74,800, the 15407ST already demands a significant commitment. On the grey market, however, the reference is currently trading at approximately $169,000 — a premium that reflects both AP's constrained supply and sustained collector demand for openworked Royal Oaks in steel. For Terry, a man who built his career on commanding the high-value areas, the choice of reference here looks entirely deliberate.