Watch Paparazzi

Footballer Erling Haaland spotted wearing Audemars Piguet

Erling Haaland was photographed wearing the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept 'Black Panther' Flying Tourbillon ref. 26620IO during the period when he claimed the UEFA Champions League Forward of the Season award representing Borussia Dortmund — a moment that announced him unambiguously as one of football's defining talents. The watch on his wrist is one of the most talked-about AP releases of the modern era, and it is not difficult to understand the attraction.

The Royal Oak Concept 'Black Panther' Flying Tourbillon ref. 26620IO was introduced by Audemars Piguet as a 250-piece limited edition that extended the Concept line's tradition of avant-garde case construction and mechanical ambition. The 42mm case is crafted from forged carbon and black ceramic, materials that give the piece an aggressive, almost industrial presence while keeping weight minimal. At the centre of the open-worked dial sits a three-dimensional Black Panther figure sculpted by hand from black ceramic — a technically demanding process requiring extraordinary artisanal skill. The calibre 2965 flying tourbillon movement, visible through the skeletonised dial, operates at 21,600 vph and offers 72 hours of power reserve.

Within the collector community, the 26620IO occupies a genuinely rare category: it is simultaneously a complications watch of the highest order and a wearable work of decorative art. The Royal Oak Concept series has long attracted collectors who want something beyond AP's core Royal Oak and Royal Oak Offshore lines, and the Black Panther edition — with its immediate cultural resonance — generated intense demand from both horology purists and a broader luxury audience. Secondary market premiums materialised almost instantly after release, and have remained substantial.

Haaland's affinity for high-complication, visually striking timepieces is well documented, and the Black Panther Concept sits comfortably within a collection that favours technical ambition over conventional prestige signalling. At the time of this sighting he was already one of the most followed athletes in Europe, and the watch choice reinforced an image built around precision, power, and deliberate choices.

At a list price of approximately $170,000, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept 'Black Panther' Flying Tourbillon ref. 26620IO was already positioned at the summit of AP's catalogue. On the secondary market, demand has driven valuations to approximately $480,000 — nearly three times retail — reflecting both the hard 250-piece production cap and the enduring cultural pull of the Black Panther motif. For a watch that justifies its price through genuine mechanical and artistic achievement, that premium is not entirely surprising.