Watch Paparazzi

Musician DJ Khaled spotted wearing Audemars Piguet

DJ Khaled was recently photographed wearing what is arguably one of the most technically complex Royal Oak variants in current production: the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Openworked in black ceramic, reference 26579CE.OO.1225CE.01. The sighting underscores Khaled's well-documented appetite for haute horlogerie that sits at the intersection of technical mastery and aesthetic impact.

Introduced in its ceramic iteration as a natural evolution of the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar line, the 26579CE is built around Calibre 2954 — a self-winding movement beating at 3Hz with 40 hours of power reserve. The perpetual calendar mechanism, visible through the openworked dial, is programmed to require no date correction until March 1, 2100, accounting automatically for leap years and month lengths. The 41mm black ceramic case, produced from sintered zirconia ceramic, offers exceptional scratch resistance alongside a matte-satin finish that gives the watch its distinctly stealthy character.

The dial architecture is a study in controlled complexity. A smoked external zone frames the counters, reducing visual noise while the perpetual calendar indications — month at 12 o'clock, day at 9, date at 3, and moon phase at 6 — are rendered legible through careful layering. Rose gold applied hour markers and the signature Royal Oak hands with luminescent coating maintain readability despite the skeletonization. The integrated black ceramic bracelet with deployant clasp reinforces the monochromatic coherence.

Among collectors, the black ceramic Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Openworked holds a rare position: it appeals equally to complication enthusiasts and design-forward buyers. Ceramic Royal Oaks in perpetual calendar configuration represent a small fraction of AP's annual output, and grey-market premiums reflect that scarcity acutely. The reference commands extraordinary secondary-market values, consistently trading at multiples of its already significant retail price.

Khaled has made no secret of his devotion to Audemars Piguet — the brand appears repeatedly across his social media and public appearances. Choosing this particular reference signals not just purchasing power but genuine engagement with the upper tier of AP's complications catalogue. At an official retail of $175,500 and grey-market valuations approaching $500,000, this is a watch that demands to be taken seriously.