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Footballer Connor Wickham spotted wearing Audemars Piguet

Connor Wickham, the Crystal Palace striker and winger with over a decade of Premier League experience, was recently spotted wearing an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph — reference 26401RO.OO.A002CA.01 — a watch that makes no attempt at subtlety and doesn't need to.

The 26401RO is built around a 44mm case in 18-carat pink gold, paired here with a brown alligator strap secured by a pink gold folding clasp. The dial is a rich brown with the signature Méga Tapisserie pattern, contrasting sub-dials at 3, 6, and 9 o'clock, and luminescent pink gold-tipped hands. Water resistance reaches 100 metres — practical for a sports watch, though this is clearly a lifestyle piece first.

Power comes from the automatic calibre 3126/3840, a movement developed jointly with Renaud & Papi. It beats at 21,600 vph, offers a 60-hour power reserve, and incorporates a column wheel chronograph mechanism with a vertical clutch — a technically serious execution beneath a dial that reads as pure bravado. The movement is visible through a sapphire caseback, a detail that rewards those who look closer.

The Royal Oak Offshore was introduced in 1993 by designer Emmanuel Gueit as a deliberately oversized, provocative evolution of Gérald Genta's original 1972 Royal Oak. At launch it divided opinion; today it is a cornerstone of the AP catalogue and a benchmark luxury sports chronograph. The 26401 series, introduced in the mid-2000s in various metal and strap configurations, remains among the most recognisable references in the range.

For footballers, the Offshore occupies the same cultural space as a high-spec SUV — a known quantity that signals success without requiring explanation. Wickham's choice of the rose gold iteration rather than stainless steel suggests a deliberate lean toward warmth and individuality over the more common steel configuration. At a UK RRP of approximately £30,000, and with grey market premiums pushing values higher on desirable metal variants, the 26401RO in pink gold represents a serious investment as much as a daily wear.