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Footballer Ferland Mendy spotted wearing Audemars Piguet

Ferland Mendy, the French international and Real Madrid defensive stalwart, was recently spotted wearing the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept 'Black Panther' Flying Tourbillon, reference 26620IO — a watch that demands attention not just for its price tag but for the extraordinary craft packed into 42 millimeters of black ceramic and titanium.

Launched in 2021 as a collaboration between Audemars Piguet and Marvel, the Royal Oak Concept 26620IO is powered by the hand-wound Calibre 2965, offering approximately 10 days of power reserve via twin barrels. The movement runs at 21,600 vph and features a flying tourbillon at six o'clock — 'flying' meaning it is secured from below rather than above, creating an unobstructed view of the cage. The crown jewel, literally, is the articulated Black Panther figure cast in grade-5 titanium with a ruthenium finish, whose head and tail move organically with the beat of the tourbillon. The case combines blackened ceramic with titanium and is water-resistant to 20 metres.

The Royal Oak Concept lineage dates to 2002, when AP used the octagonal Royal Oak architecture as a sandbox for experimental complications and avant-garde aesthetics, freed from the constraints of the classic reference 15202 or 15500. The Black Panther edition sits at the pinnacle of that sub-family — a genuine crossover piece that appeals simultaneously to hardcore complications collectors and cultural tastemakers. Limited to 250 pieces globally, it sold out immediately and has never returned to an authorized dealer shelf.

Mendy joins a roster of footballers — including teammates at the Bernabéu — who gravitate toward statement AP pieces, but the 26620IO reads as a considered choice. It is not the watch of someone handed a sponsorship; it is the watch of someone who sought it out. At this level of rarity and complication, that distinction matters to the collector community.

On the secondary market, the Royal Oak Concept Black Panther 26620IO commands significant premiums. With an original retail of approximately $170,000, grey-market transactions have consistently closed well above that figure, reflecting both the 250-piece cap and sustained demand from watch collectors and cultural figures alike.