Watch Paparazzi

Rapper Aitch spotted wearing Audemars Piguet

Aitch, the Manchester-born rapper who broke through with 'Take Me Back To London' and has since built one of UK hip-hop's most consistent commercial records, was recently spotted wearing an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph in 18K rose gold, reference 26331OR, with the model's distinctive blue Grande Tapisserie dial. The sighting adds another data point to a growing body of evidence that younger British artists are gravitating toward serious horology rather than simply maximalist jewellery.

The 26331OR is built around the Calibre 2385, an integrated column-wheel chronograph movement with a lateral clutch, beating at 21,600 vph and offering a 40-hour power reserve. The 41mm rose gold case and integrated bracelet follow the geometry Gerald Genta sketched in 1972, but the chronograph execution — with its pushers at 2 and 4 o'clock and subsidiary registers at 3 and 9 — has been part of the Royal Oak family since 1997, giving the complication genuine lineage within the line. The blue sunburst-influenced dial works exceptionally well against the warm rose gold, avoiding the cooler, more aloof character of steel versions.

Among collectors, the Royal Oak Chronograph in rose gold occupies a specific niche: more approachable than the ultra-limited offshore derivatives, yet materially and mechanically more substantial than the standard three-hander. The 26331OR's column-wheel movement and clean integrated design have made it a consistent target for collectors who want demonstrable watchmaking without the theatrics. Its aluminium-free movement and traditional chronograph architecture have aged considerably better than some contemporaries.

For Aitch, the choice reads as deliberate. Rather than opting for a more obvious statement piece, the 26331OR signals familiarity with the catalogue — a distinction that matters in watch circles. At 26, wearing a reference this considered suggests either strong personal taste or equally strong advisers, and probably both.

At a list price of approximately $63,600, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph 26331OR is already premium territory, but the grey market has pushed current valuations closer to $116,000 — a premium that reflects both sustained AP demand and the enduring desirability of rose gold Royal Oak variants with integrated bracelets.