Watch Paparazzi

Rapper Young Thug spotted wearing Audemars Piguet

Young Thug — born Jeffery Lamar Williams — was recently photographed wearing a stainless steel Audemars Piguet Royal Oak reference 15400ST, a watch that sits at the very core of AP's modern catalogue and remains one of the most recognisable luxury sports watches on the market. The sighting is consistent with the Atlanta rapper's taste for high-end, credible horology rather than purely diamond-set showpieces.

The Royal Oak ref. 15400ST.OO.1220ST was introduced in 2012 as the successor to the long-running ref. 15300ST, bringing with it a refined 41mm stainless steel case — up from 39mm — and the proprietary Calibre 3120 automatic movement. That movement, entirely developed and manufactured in-house at Le Brassus, beats at 21,600 vph, offers a 60-hour power reserve, and is finished to a standard that rewards close inspection: Geneva stripes, bevelled bridges, and a 22-carat gold rotor. Water resistance sits at 50 metres. The signature 'Grande Tapisserie' dial — here in classic blue or silver depending on the specific variant — is produced using a dedicated stamping process that gives each square its own micro-relief texture.

The 15400ST holds particular significance in AP's lineage because it was the reference that reintroduced the 41mm case diameter to the Royal Oak family at a time when oversized watches dominated the market. Collectors have consistently valued it as the purest, least complicated expression of Genta's original 1972 design: no complications, no extra size, just the octagonal bezel, integrated bracelet, and that dial. It has since been discontinued and replaced by the ref. 16202ST, which has only amplified secondary-market interest in the 15400.

Young Thug has built a reputation as one of hip-hop's most idiosyncratic stylists, and his watch choices tend to reflect genuine engagement with the collector market rather than pure status signalling. The Royal Oak in steel — understated relative to a bejewelled Richard Mille — speaks to that sensibility.

On the grey market, the stainless steel Audemars Piguet Royal Oak ref. 15400ST now trades well above its original retail price, reflecting both the model's discontinuation and sustained global demand for AP's steel sports references. Buyers should expect to pay a meaningful premium over the original UK list price of approximately £13,500.