Rapper Polo G spotted wearing a Audemars Piguet

At Wrigley Field in Chicago, rapper Polo G — born Taurus Tremani Bartlett — took the field wearing one of the more elaborately customised Audemars Piguet Royal Oaks currently circulating in rap's jewellery ecosystem. The piece was spotted on his left wrist alongside layered diamond Cuban chains, the watch's icy blue-and-white palette coordinating with the Cubs white pinstripe jersey in a move that felt entirely deliberate.

The base reference appears to be the Royal Oak 15400ST or its successor 15500ST in 41mm stainless steel — AP's workhorse men's Royal Oak configuration. The in-house Calibre 3120 or 4302 movement sits beneath a custom-modified dial that retains the Grande Tapisserie guilloche pattern but has had its applied hour markers replaced with blue sapphire baguettes. The bezel — normally one of fine watchmaking's most recognised architectural elements, with its eight hexagonal screws and brushed/polished alternating surfaces — has been fully pavéd with round blue sapphires in a halo formation. Approximately half the integrated bracelet links have been afterset with a combination of blue sapphires and white diamonds, with the remaining surfaces covered in round-brilliant white diamonds of SI-VS clarity.

From a collector's standpoint, afterset Royal Oaks are a contested category. Purists argue that any modification to the OEM case destroys the integrity — and resale value — of one of horology's most architecturally pure designs. The counter-argument, dominant in hip-hop jewellery culture, is that the Royal Oak's geometric DNA is strong enough to absorb and even amplify stone-setting. Jewellers like Icebox Atlanta and NY-based custom houses have built entire revenue streams on this philosophy.

Polo G is one of Chicago's highest-grossing rap exports, with multiple platinum albums and a Grammy-nominated profile. His jewellery choices consistently skew toward iced Rolexes and APs, often customised to reflect personal colour palettes. The blue sapphire theme here tracks with other pieces in his collection.

A stock 15500ST retails for approximately $29,400. Grey market on unmodified examples hovers between $38,000 and $48,000 depending on configuration. A fully afterset build of this complexity — blue sapphire bezel, mixed bracelet pavé, custom dial markers — would conservatively add $40,000–$80,000 in labour and stone costs, placing this specific piece well above $100,000 in total investment.