Arnold Schwarzenegger is best known for wearing Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore watches, the chunky, octagonal-bezel sport chronographs he has helped design with the brand since the late 1990s. The most famous are the 1999 “End of Days” Royal Oak Offshore (ref. 25770), the titanium T3 “Terminator” and the ceramic “The Legacy” (ref. 26378IO).
Quick answer: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore, in several Arnold-specific limited editions. Newer editions sell for tens of thousands of dollars, and some collaboration pieces are far rarer than that. The closest budget look is a Casio G-Shock GA-2100, which borrows the Royal Oak’s octagon.
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Audemars Piguet connection
Few celebrities have a relationship with a watchmaker as long or as hands-on as this one. Schwarzenegger has worked with Audemars Piguet for more than two decades, and the brand has produced a run of limited editions tied to his name. They range from the 1999 “End of Days” Offshore, which he co-designed and which AP numbered in a limited run of 500 pieces according to auction documents, to more recent releases celebrating the partnership.
The Offshore suits him. It is big, heavy and unapologetically muscular, the watch equivalent of the characters he played. That fit is a large part of why the collaboration became one of the best-known celebrity watch partnerships of the past 25 years.
The Arnold watches, model by model
| Watch | Key facts | Approximate value |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Oak Offshore “End of Days” (ref. 25770SN) | Co-designed with Arnold in 1999; limited to 500 pieces for the standard edition | Roughly $20,000 on the pre-owned market, per collector reports |
| Royal Oak Offshore T3 “Terminator” (ref. 25863TI) | Titanium case, black dial; widely reported as a 1,000-piece edition and the most popular of the collaborations | Often listed in the $20,000 to $50,000 range |
| Royal Oak Offshore “The Legacy” Chronograph (ref. 26378IO) | Black ceramic case and bezel, titanium case back and side guards, 18k rose gold pushers; limited to 1,500 pieces; marks ten years of the collaboration | Varies widely by dealer; check current listings |
| Jules Audemars “6th Day” Double X chronograph | Titanium and platinum; made for the film’s premiere and reportedly never sold at retail | Recent sales reported around $30,000 to $35,000 |
Case sizes, movements and water resistance differ between these editions, so check the exact reference before buying one. Prices above are approximate and drawn from collector and dealer reports, not official AP pricing.
The Munich airport watch
In January 2024, Schwarzenegger was held for about three hours at Munich Airport by German customs. He was traveling to Austria to auction an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak for his climate charity. It was a one-of-20 piece resembling the 25770 anniversary edition, but with a rotor engraved with a bodybuilding pose and the words “Arnold Classic.”
The reported problem was paperwork for the import, and he agreed to pay roughly $38,000 in duty. The watch then sold at the Kitzbühel charity dinner for 270,000 euros, with an opening price of about 50,000 euros. The story is a good reminder that the watch was not just a prop. It was a real, high-value piece he was personally moving across borders.
The Seiko “Arnie”: his screen watch
Long before the Audemars Piguet deals, Schwarzenegger’s best-known screen watch was a humble Seiko. The Seiko H558 “hybrid” diver, a quartz analog-digital chronograph from 1982, turns up on his wrist in Commando (1985) and again in Predator (1987), where the reference usually cited is the H558-5009. Fans have called it “the Arnie” ever since.
Seiko revived the idea in 2019 as the Prospex Solar SNJ025, with a solar-powered H851 movement, 200-meter water resistance and a launch price of around $525. It is bigger than the original (about 48 mm against 45 mm) and swaps the old depth meter for a 24-hour ring. Check current retailer listings if you want one, as availability changes and we have not confirmed it is still in production.
| Spec | Original H558 (1980s) | Seiko Prospex SNJ025 (2019) |
|---|---|---|
| Case size | About 45 mm | About 48 mm |
| Movement | Quartz H558, analog and digital | Solar H851, analog and digital |
| Water resistance | About 150 m | 200 m |
| Price | Vintage market only | Launched around $525 |
Other watches in his collection
Schwarzenegger has been linked to a much wider range of watches than the AP headlines suggest. These are reported by watch blogs and collection round-ups rather than confirmed by him, so read them as “widely reported” rather than certain:
- Panerai: One round-up (Wrist Enthusiast) places a Panerai on his wrist in Eraser (1996), said to be a gift from Sylvester Stallone. Panerai is the brand most associated with Stallone, so a gift between the two action stars is a plausible story, but treat the details as unconfirmed.
- Rolex GMT-Master: Wrist Enthusiast lists a vintage gold “Root Beer” GMT-Master ref. 1675, and a South China Morning Post collection feature headline points the same way. We have not seen primary confirmation.
- Pilot and military-style watches: Wrist Enthusiast lists several, including a Laco, a Zenith Type 20 and a Bell & Ross BR 01-92, which is reported on his wrist in The Expendables 2.
- Newer Offshore editions: Audemars Piguet has also issued a fresh “End of Days” Royal Oak Offshore (ref. 26420CE), a 43 mm black ceramic watch limited to 500 pieces to mark the Offshore line’s 30th anniversary, with an official price of about $60,300.
The takeaway is that he is a genuine watch enthusiast who wears everything from a $500 Seiko to six-figure collaborations, rather than a one-brand loyalist.
Get the look for less
If you like the Royal Oak Offshore’s octagonal bezel and bold proportions but not the price, you have a few options.
- Casio G-Shock GA-2100 (“CasiOak”): an octagonal bezel and a slim profile, typically around $100 to $130. Best for: an everyday watch that nods to the Royal Oak. Pro: tough and cheap. Con: resin, not steel.
- Octagonal steel sport watches from microbrands: plenty of small brands sell integrated-bracelet octagon designs from a few hundred dollars. Best for: a metal bracelet and a more serious feel. Con: quality varies, so read reviews first.
For more affordable alternatives to famous designs, see our homage watch guide and the Rolex Submariner homage roundup.
Other action stars and their watches
If you enjoyed this, you may also like what watch Conor McGregor wears or what Bill Gates wears, which is an almost opposite philosophy.
FAQ
What watch does Arnold Schwarzenegger wear?
Mainly Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore models, including the “End of Days,” T3 “Terminator” and “The Legacy” editions. On screen he is also famous for the Seiko H558 “Arnie” from Predator.
What watch did Arnold wear in Predator?
A Seiko H558 quartz analog-digital diver, usually cited as the H558-5009. Seiko reissued the idea as the Prospex Solar SNJ025 in 2019.
Did Arnold design an Audemars Piguet watch?
Yes. He is credited with co-designing the 1999 Royal Oak Offshore “End of Days,” and the brand has released several collaboration editions since.
How much is Arnold Schwarzenegger’s watch worth?
It depends on the edition. Some pre-owned Arnold Offshores trade around $20,000, popular ones can run higher, and the unique charity piece sold for 270,000 euros in 2024.
Why was Arnold Schwarzenegger detained over a watch?
In January 2024, German customs at Munich Airport reportedly held him for about three hours over import paperwork and duty on an Audemars Piguet he was bringing to auction for charity.
Sources
- Robb Report Singapore: Arnold Schwarzenegger detained at a German airport over an ultra-rare Audemars Piguet
- Luxury Bazaar: History of the Arnold Schwarzenegger x Audemars Piguet collaboration
- Uhren2000: Royal Oak Offshore Arnold Schwarzenegger “The Legacy”
- Wrist Enthusiast: Arnold Schwarzenegger’s watches
- Exquisite Timepieces: All about the Seiko Arnie
- aBlogtoWatch: Reissued Seiko Solar Arnie SNJ025
- Watchfinder: New Audemars Piguet End of Days Royal Oak Offshore