Footballer Emile Heskey spotted wearing a Audemars Piguet

Emile Heskey, the former England international and Premier League forward best remembered for his spells at Leicester City, Liverpool, and Aston Villa, was recently spotted wearing an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph in ceramic, reference 26402CE — a watch that occupies a distinct and purposeful corner of the Offshore catalogue.

The 26402CE is built around a 44mm case crafted entirely in black ceramic, a material AP has deployed with growing confidence across the Royal Oak Offshore line. Ceramic delivers a matte, near-impervious finish that resists the kind of incidental wear a 44mm sport-luxury watch inevitably encounters. The dial is executed in black with contrasting subdials, maintaining the Offshore's signature architecture: the oversized crown guards, the tapisserie texture, and the integrated bracelet design first introduced by Emmanuel Gueit in 1993 as a deliberately provocative amplification of Gerald Genta's original Royal Oak blueprint.

Powering the 26402CE is the Calibre 3126/3840, a column-wheel chronograph movement with a 60-hour power reserve, beating at 21,600 vph. It is a movement built for longevity and serviceability rather than exhibition, sitting beneath a solid caseback — which, for a ceramic-cased Offshore, is entirely consistent with the tool-watch ethos of the line.

From a collector standpoint, the all-ceramic Offshore occupies an interesting position. It lacks the precious-metal premiums of the gold variants and the institutional familiarity of the stainless steel references, but it delivers arguably the most understated and wearable version of the 44mm chronograph. Purists appreciate it precisely because it prioritises material engineering over ostentation.

Heskey's choice reflects a pattern well established among footballers of his generation — substantial, technically credible watches worn without excessive ceremony. The UK list price sits at £33,300, with grey-market values typically trading at a moderate premium depending on condition and box-paper status. For a ceramic Offshore in this configuration, availability is reasonable, making it a considered rather than speculative acquisition.