Watch Paparazzi

Cricketer Virat Kohli spotted wearing Audemars Piguet

Virat Kohli, widely regarded as one of cricket's greatest batsmen and a figure whose cultural reach extends far beyond the sport, was recently spotted wearing the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Extra-Thin in 18-karat rose gold, reference 15202OR.OO.1240OR.01 — one of the most storied and sought-after references in contemporary watchmaking.

The Royal Oak Extra-Thin 15202OR is built around the legendary Calibre 2121, a movement jointly developed by Audemars Piguet, Jaeger-LeCoultre, and Vacheron Constantin in the early 1970s. At just 3.05mm in height, it remains one of the thinnest automatic movements ever produced and has been in continuous production for more than fifty years with minimal modification. The 39mm case is crafted in 18-karat rose gold, paired with a matching integrated bracelet and the iconic Grande Tapisserie dial — in this configuration, finished in a warm, smoked rose gold tone. Case thickness sits at a barely-there 8.1mm, making it one of the slimmest automatic watches in production today.

Among collectors, the 15202 series occupies a singular position. It is the closest living relative to the original 5402ST launched by Genta in 1972, retaining the 39mm case diameter, the integrated bracelet architecture, and the Calibre 2121 — elements the larger, more commercially prominent 15500 series has since departed from. Audemars Piguet allocates the 15202OR.OO.1240OR.01 in extremely limited quantities, and authorized dealer waitlists are measured in years rather than months.

Kohli's affinity for high-end horology is well documented. The Royal Challengers Bangalore captain and former Indian national team skipper has been photographed with several Audemars Piguet pieces, and the brand's Royal Oak DNA aligns naturally with his image — technically unimpeachable, quietly dominant, and globally recognized. The rose gold variant, in particular, speaks to a collector confident enough to move beyond the steel or white gold default.

At an official retail price of $55,400, the Royal Oak Extra-Thin 15202OR already represents a significant acquisition. On the grey market, however, it consistently trades at approximately $120,000 — a premium exceeding 100 percent over retail, reflecting genuine scarcity rather than speculative inflation. For collectors who can access one at list price, the 15202OR.OO.1240OR.01 represents as close to a guaranteed store-of-value as modern watchmaking offers.