Watch Paparazzi

Footballer Erling Haaland spotted wearing Audemars Piguet

Erling Haaland was photographed on vacation sporting one of the most sought-after wristwatches of the past decade — the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 'Jumbo' Extra-Thin 50th Anniversary in 18k yellow gold, reference 16202BA. The setting was relaxed, but the watch on his wrist is anything but ordinary, commanding grey-market valuations that dwarf its already substantial retail price.

The Royal Oak 16202BA sits at the apex of the 50th anniversary collection Audemars Piguet unveiled in 2022. It retains the original 39mm case diameter and 8.1mm thickness that Gerald Genta sketched in a single overnight session for the 1972 Basel Fair, but advances the technical story considerably. At its heart beats the new Calibre 7121 — an entirely in-house ultra-thin automatic movement measuring just 3.05mm thick, beating at 19,800 vph with a 55-hour power reserve. AP developed this manufacture calibre from scratch, replacing the long-serving JLC base that powered earlier Royal Oak 'Jumbo' references. The 18k yellow gold case and integrated bracelet are finished to AP's exacting standard of alternating brushed and polished surfaces, and the petite tapisserie dial in a warm blue-grey tone carries applied hour markers in matching yellow gold.

Among collectors, the 16202BA occupies near-mythical status. Production numbers are tightly controlled, and yellow gold Royal Oaks have historically outperformed steel equivalents on the secondary market. The combination of a landmark anniversary, an entirely new movement, and a precious metal case created immediate, intense demand at launch. Authorised dealer waiting lists stretched to years, and the grey market responded accordingly — current valuations sit close to $650,000, roughly nine times the $70,500 retail price.

Haaland, at 23, has already established himself as a serious watch collector, with multiple AP and Patek Philippe pieces previously documented on his wrist. The 16202BA is not an impulse purchase or a gifted press piece — sourcing one at or near retail requires a substantial purchase history with an authorised dealer, suggesting genuine collector engagement.

For the market, Haaland's visibility in the 16202BA reinforces the reference's cultural currency. The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 'Jumbo' Extra-Thin 50th Anniversary in yellow gold remains one of the clearest examples of a modern watch trading almost entirely as a collectible asset — a reality that shows no sign of changing.