Watch Paparazzi

Rapper Jay-Z spotted wearing Audemars Piguet

Jay-Z has never been a casual watch wearer, and the Audemars Piguet Jules Audemars Chrono Tourbillon reference 26010BC spotted on his wrist underscores exactly why collectors pay close attention to what Shawn Carter chooses to strap on. This is not a watch purchased for visibility alone — the 26010BC is a movement-first piece that rewards those who understand what is actually happening beneath the dial.

The Audemars Piguet Jules Audemars Chronograph Tourbillon ref. 26010BC is built around calibre 2874, a manual-winding movement that integrates a column-wheel flyback chronograph with a one-minute flying tourbillon at six o'clock. The movement comprises over 350 components and runs at 21,600 vph, with a power reserve of approximately 70 hours. The 18-carat white gold case measures 42mm in diameter and sits at a relatively modest thickness for a watch of this complication density, making it wearable as a dress piece despite its mechanical ambition. The silvered dial keeps decoration restrained, allowing the tourbillon cage to command visual attention without competing with heavy ornamentation.

Within the Jules Audemars collection — AP's tribute to its co-founder and historically its home for the most intellectually serious complications — the Chrono Tourbillon occupies a position at the very top. These references were produced in limited numbers over a relatively contained production window, making them genuinely scarce on the secondary market. Unlike the Royal Oak Tourbillon, which benefits from broader collector awareness, the Jules Audemars line tends to surface in collections assembled by buyers who prioritise movement architecture over brand iconography.

Jay-Z's watch collection has been documented across Royal Oak chronographs, Patek Philippe perpetual calendars, and Richard Mille tonneau pieces, but the 26010BC signals an appreciation for classical haute horlogerie that goes beyond streetwear adjacency. It is the kind of watch that reads quietly to most observers and loudly to anyone who has ever spent time studying tourbillon watchmaking.

On the grey market, examples of the Audemars Piguet Jules Audemars Chrono Tourbillon reference 26010BC in white gold trade in rarefied territory, reflecting both the complexity of the movement and the scarcity of available pieces. With a UK retail price in the region of £150,000, this is firmly grand complication territory — a category where AP has historically been able to compete with Geneva's most decorated independents.