Watch Paparazzi

Basketball player LeBron James spotted wearing Audemars Piguet

LeBron James was photographed wearing an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph in 18k pink gold, reference 26401RO — one of the more imposing pieces in a lineup that has never been accused of understatement. The sighting adds another chapter to James's well-documented relationship with high-horology, and specifically with the Le Brassus manufacture.

The Royal Oak Offshore ref. 26401RO is built around a solid 18k pink gold case measuring 44mm in diameter with a water resistance rating of 100 metres. Its signature octagonal bezel, secured by eight exposed hex screws, is a direct — and deliberately exaggerated — homage to Gerald Genta's 1972 Royal Oak design. Inside runs Audemars Piguet's Calibre 3126/3840, a self-winding integrated chronograph movement with a column wheel, 21k gold rotor, and a 50-hour power reserve. The dial on the 26401RO features a brown "Méga Tapisserie" pattern with contrasting sub-registers, giving the piece a warm, coherent palette that pairs naturally with the pink gold case and bracelet.

The Royal Oak Offshore was introduced in 1993 — the watch's 20th anniversary year — designed by Emmanuel Gueit and immediately polarising among collectors. Genta himself reportedly called it "my child, but ugly." Three decades on, that controversy has entirely dissolved. The Offshore is now a cornerstone of AP's commercial identity and a serious collector reference, with rose gold iterations attracting consistent demand on the secondary market. The 26401RO in particular benefits from the warm metal combination, which tends to hold value more stubbornly than steel variants in comparable configurations.

LeBron James has long been associated with Audemars Piguet — he has appeared in AP campaigns and regularly rotates through multiple references publicly. His wrist choices carry genuine market weight; sightings of specific references reliably generate search interest and, in tighter supply situations, can nudge grey-market pricing. The 26401RO on a wrist of his stature is less a flex than a statement of informed preference.

At retail, the Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph ref. 26401RO carries a list price in the region of $65,000–$70,000 USD depending on market. On the grey market, clean examples with full set typically trade at or modestly above retail given sustained demand for precious-metal Offshore chronographs, making this a reference that rewards patience on both the buying and selling side.