Entrepreneur François-Henry Bennahmias spotted wearing a Audemars Piguet

François-Henry Bennahmias was recently photographed wearing the just-unveiled Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar reference 26579CS — a watch he had every professional reason to be proud of, given that it represents a genuine material breakthrough for the Le Brassus manufacture he led for over a decade.

The 26579CS is the first Royal Oak to combine both case and bracelet in full blue ceramic, a technical achievement that should not be understated. Ceramic is substantially harder than steel — rating around 9 on the Mohs scale — making it highly scratch-resistant but notoriously difficult to machine with the precision that the Royal Oak's octagonal bezel, exposed screws and integrated bracelet demand. Audemars Piguet's manufacture teams invested considerable R&D to execute Gerald Genta's 1972 design in this medium without compromising its sharp, architectural lines. The result is a monochromatic blue ensemble: case, bracelet, dial, counters and inner bezel share the same deep, consistent hue, unified by the iconic Grande Tapisserie guilloché pattern across the sunburst dial.

The complication driving the 26579CS is no afterthought. The watch houses Calibre 5134, AP's in-house perpetual calendar movement, which displays day, date, month and leap year with a moon phase indicator, all self-correcting through 2100. The movement offers approximately 40 hours of power reserve and oscillates at 19,800 vph. In collector circles, the AP perpetual calendar Royal Oak in precious materials has long been considered among the brand's most serious complications — the blue ceramic iteration adds rarity and technical novelty to that already strong pedigree.

Bennahmias, who announced his departure from the CEO role after transforming AP into a multi-billion-dollar independent powerhouse, wearing this piece publicly is effectively an endorsement from the inside. Few product launches benefit from that kind of organic authenticity.

At an official retail price of $109,500, the 26579CS sits firmly in grand complication territory. Given AP's long-standing allocation constraints and the novelty of the ceramic execution, grey-market premiums on debut references like this tend to emerge quickly — collectors and flippers alike will be watching secondary pricing closely in the months ahead.