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comedian Kevin Hart spotted wearing a Audemars Piguet 26240CE

Comedian Kevin Hart spotted wearing Audemars Piguet

30/11/2022

Description: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph 'Special' Black Ceramic Reference 26240CE
Ref: 26240CE
List Price: unknown
Market Price (estimated): unknown
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Kevin Hart was recently spotted on the wrist with one of Audemars Piguet's most visually striking Royal Oak variants — the so-called 'Special' Black Ceramic Royal Oak Chronograph, reference 26240CE. Hart, never one for understated wrist game, chose a piece that commands attention without relying on precious metal flash, letting pure material engineering and design heritage do the talking.

The Royal Oak Chronograph 26240CE is built around AP's in-house Calibre 4401, a column-wheel integrated chronograph movement featuring a vertical clutch for smooth, instantaneous start-stop action without jump. The movement beats at 4Hz, offers approximately 70 hours of power reserve, and is visible through a sapphire caseback — a rare gesture of transparency given how much engineering sits beneath the dial. The 41mm case is crafted entirely from black ceramic, a material that provides exceptional scratch resistance and a depth of color that no PVD coating can replicate. The integrated bracelet, one of Gérald Genta's original 1972 design strokes, is rendered in matching ceramic — a technical challenge that makes this reference significantly more complex to produce than its steel counterpart.

From a collector standpoint, the 26240CE occupies a serious position in the Royal Oak hierarchy. Full ceramic executions of the Royal Oak have always been produced in limited numbers, and the chronograph configuration in this material combination is among the rarest mainstream references AP offers. The 'Special' designation signals a configuration — typically involving specific dial, subdial, or bracelet treatments — that distinguishes it from the standard catalogue entry, elevating both desirability and scarcity on the secondary market.

Hart has been a vocal Audemars Piguet enthusiast for years, with his collection spanning Royal Oak Offshores, concept watches, and bespoke commissions. He represents a generation of entertainers who approach watch collecting with the same research-driven seriousness as institutional collectors, making his sightings genuinely informative rather than merely decorative.

With no official retail price published by AP for the 26240CE — consistent with the brand's practice of managing certain allocations quietly — the grey market tells the real story. Ceramic Royal Oak Chronographs trade at significant premiums over their steel siblings, reflecting both material scarcity and sustained collector demand in a market that continues to reward the most technically distinctive Royal Oak references.