Watch Paparazzi

Cricketer Virat Kohli spotted wearing Audemars Piguet

Virat Kohli was photographed wearing a stainless steel Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Jumbo Extra-Thin with a blue dial during celebrations surrounding the announcement of his wife Anushka Sharma's pregnancy. It is a personal moment made all the more watchable by the timepiece on his wrist — one of the most coveted references in contemporary horology.

The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 15202ST is not merely a watch; it is a statement of restraint in a category increasingly defined by excess. Introduced as a faithful tribute to Gerald Genta's landmark 1972 design, the 15202ST measures 39mm in stainless steel with the signature octagonal bezel secured by eight hexagonal screws. Its defining feature is the Calibre 2121 movement — a 2.45mm-thick micro-rotor automatic derived from the legendary Jaeger-LeCoultre 920 — which keeps the case profile to a razor-thin 8.1mm. The grande tapisserie dial in blue is a collector's benchmark, its guilloche pattern catching light in a way that photographs can barely do justice.

Among serious collectors, the 15202ST occupies a tier above the far more commercially prominent 15500ST. The decision to retain the original 39mm case diameter, the smaller cleaner dial without a date complication, and the use of the Calibre 2121 rather than the newer 7121 all position the Jumbo as the purist's Royal Oak. Waiting lists at authorised dealers have stretched beyond three years in major markets, and grey-market premiums have remained stubbornly elevated as a result.

Kohli has long demonstrated a sophisticated watch collection, with previous sightings including Richard Mille and Patek Philippe references. His choice of the Royal Oak 15202ST signals an appreciation for horological heritage over spectacle — the Jumbo rewards those who know what they are looking at, which makes it an apt match for a cricketer whose own technique has always been praised for its classical foundations.

At a UK list price of approximately £25,400, the 15202ST is nominally accessible by ultra-luxury standards, but obtaining one at retail remains largely theoretical for most buyers. On the secondary market, examples in unworn condition command significant premiums, reflecting both genuine scarcity and the reference's enduring desirability among informed collectors worldwide.