He may not have guided the Netherlands to victory this summer (though the Orange Army’s celebrations were certainly prize-worthy), but Liverpool captain Virgil Van Dijk still delivered a win for vintage watch lovers this week at Wimbledon’s Royal Box. Specifically, an Audemars Piguet for the ages.
Joining the entourage of anyone who’s anyone on Day 12 at the British tennis tournament, Van Dijk turned up suited to the nines to witness Brit (and wildcard!), Arthur Fery take on the seeded Alexander Zverev. While all the chatter rests on whether Fery will take it to the final, we can’t stop chatting about the Bamboo model (calibre 2130 for the initiated) that neatly sits in 18K yellow gold on Van Dijk’s wrist.
What’s in the name? Well, as the tin states, Audemars Piguet’s Bamboo made its debut in the early 1980s, drawing inspiration from the natural elegance of bamboo shoots, positioning the watch firmly in the genre of dress watches. It appeared in a variation of sizes from 20, 22, and 27mm, and in varying movements respectively from quartz, automatic and manual, to meet the wearer’s needs.
Rather than simply borrowing the name, its defining feature is the meticulously crafted integrated bracelet, where each individual link recreates the grooves and textural curves of the plant’s segmented stalks.
That botanical influence extends beyond the bracelet, with the bamboo-like motifs continuing across the bezel, where each curved element frames the hour markers. Set within an unmistakably Audemars Piguet octagonal case (yet proportioned differently to that of the eight-sided hallmark Royal Oak silhouette), it rests in a more polite manner on the wrist.
While our horological hawk eyes are presently deciphering on the go, as the footballer sits courtside as we type, it’s too early to determine whether he’s opted for baguette-cut hands – the real creme de la creme in the Bamboo line-up – a choice that would undoubtedly be game, set and match for the Bamboo collection.
Once upon a time, these Bamboo models were a lesser-known icon among Audemars Piguet’s progenies, that is in comparison to the Royal Oak and Offshore that litter song lyrics and silver screens aplenty. Yet, this underdog from the 80s is making its comeback – Jacob Elordi, Romeo Beckham, and fellow tennis champion, Aryna Sabalenka, spotted in a fully iced-out version, a testament to that.
Van Dijk may have arrived at Wimbledon as a spectator, but his wrist arguably served up the day’s biggest statement, proving that some classics, much like champions, never truly leave.