Watch Paparazzi

Musician DJ Khaled spotted wearing Audemars Piguet

Future — born Nayvadius DeMun Wilburn — has long cultivated an aesthetic that balances street credibility with genuine connoisseurship, and a recent sighting confirms he is wearing the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding in 18K yellow gold, reference 15450BA.OO.1220BA.01. It is exactly the kind of watch that rewards the informed eye: expensive, restrained, and deeply rooted in horological history.

The Royal Oak 15450BA sits within the 37mm generation of the Royal Oak, relaunched in 2018 as a gender-neutral successor to the longstanding 33mm "Ladies" configuration. Powered by Audemars Piguet's in-house Calibre 4302 — a micro-rotor automatic with a 60-hour power reserve, beating at 28,800 vph — the movement is visible through a sapphire caseback and represents a significant step forward over earlier iterations of the calibre family. The 18K yellow gold case measures 37mm across and just 8.1mm in thickness, making it one of the slimmest Royal Oaks in current production. The signature "Grande Tapisserie" dial, applied hour markers, and integrated gold bracelet remain faithful to Gerald Genta's 1972 blueprint.

Among collectors, the 15450BA occupies a nuanced position. The 37mm case divides opinion — purists who favor the original 39mm 15202 or the sport-oriented 15500 sometimes overlook it — yet that relative ambiguity has not dampened demand. Yellow gold Royal Oaks in any configuration carry strong sentimental and cultural weight, and the 15450BA benefits from being genuinely rarer on the wrist than its steel counterparts.

Future's choice is telling. The Atlanta rapper has moved well beyond conspicuous logo dressing; the 15450BA is the kind of piece worn by someone who knows exactly what it is and understands why subtlety, at this price point, is its own flex. It aligns with the direction several serious hip-hop collectors have taken — gravitating toward precious-metal dress sports watches over ultra-high-complication pieces.

At UK list price of £35,350 — translating to approximately $43,500–$45,000 at retail in the US — the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 15450BA commands a healthy grey-market premium. Secondary market values for yellow gold examples typically track between $52,000 and $62,000 depending on condition and documentation, reflecting sustained appetite for AP yellow gold references across all collector tiers.