Boxer Manny Pacquiao spotted wearing a Audemars Piguet

Manny Pacquiao, the only eight-division world boxing champion in history, was recently photographed wearing one of Audemars Piguet's most technically demanding and visually striking creations: the Royal Oak Extra-Thin Tourbillon in 18kt pink gold with a baguette diamond-set bezel, reference 26514OR. For a man who has spent decades performing under the brightest lights, the choice of a watch that sits at the absolute summit of AP's complications catalogue feels entirely in character.

The 26514OR is built around Calibre 2924, a manually wound tourbillon movement measuring a remarkable 3.95mm in total height. That slimness is not incidental — it is the central engineering achievement of the piece. The movement beats at 21,600 vph and delivers a 70-hour power reserve, housed within a 41mm case that retains the iconic Royal Oak architecture first designed by Gérald Genta in 1972. The tapisserie-patterned dial, here executed in a rich deep tone, frames the flying tourbillon at 6 o'clock with the restraint you expect from a manufacture that understands when not to shout.

What elevates this particular reference beyond the already rarefied standard Royal Oak tourbillon is the diamond treatment. Thirty-two baguette-cut diamonds line the octagonal bezel — a setting technique that demands individual hand-fitting of each stone to maintain the geometric precision Genta's design requires. Baguette setting on a curved, multi-sided bezel is among the most labour-intensive tasks in gem-setting, and it shows in the finished result. Collectors who track AP's high-complications output regard the 26514OR as a crossover piece: a serious horological object that also functions as a statement jewel.

Pacquiao has long been a documented Audemars Piguet enthusiast, and his collection is known to span multiple Royal Oak variants. His affinity for AP reads less as celebrity endorsement and more as genuine allegiance — the brand's combination of athletic heritage and meticulous craftsmanship maps neatly onto his own biography.

On the grey market, the 26514OR commands significant premiums over its already substantial list price, reflecting both the scarcity of pink gold diamond AP tourbillons and sustained global demand for Royal Oak complications. This is not a piece that sits long in any secondary market inventory.