Watch Paparazzi

Comedian Kevin Hart spotted wearing Audemars Piguet

Kevin Hart has never been shy about his passion for serious timepieces, but a recent sighting of the comedian wearing the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept 'Black Panther' Flying Tourbillon ref. 26620IO places him firmly in a circle of just 250 collectors worldwide who own one of watchmaking's most technically and artistically ambitious limited editions.

The Royal Oak Concept ref. 26620IO is built on Calibre 2965, a manually wound flying tourbillon movement beating at 21,600 vph with a 72-hour power reserve. The case is constructed from a combination of grade 5 titanium and black ceramic, measuring 42mm — true to the oversized, avant-garde proportions that define the Royal Oak Concept lineage since its debut in 2002. Water resistance is rated to 20 metres, a reminder that this is an exhibition piece, not a tool watch. The openworked dial architecture exposes the movement while framing the centrepiece: a three-dimensional Black Panther figure integrated into the flying tourbillon carriage, hand-finished and animated to appear mid-leap.

From a collector standpoint, the 26620IO is exceptional even within AP's own catalogue. The Royal Oak Concept line has long served as Audemars Piguet's skunkworks — a platform for experimental complications and case engineering that would never appear in the mainline Royal Oak. The Marvel collaboration, launched in 2021, was met with initial scepticism in traditional horology circles, but the execution silenced most critics. The micro-sculpted panther, finished by hand, represents genuine craft rather than mere licensing. Secondary market demand confirmed as much almost immediately after release.

Hart is a collector who has demonstrated consistent taste for statement-level pieces — complicated, visually arresting, and often scarce. The Black Panther Concept fits that profile precisely: it is not a watch you stumble into. Acquiring one at retail required an established AP relationship, and the allocation list was reportedly exhausted before the piece was publicly announced.

On the current grey market, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept 'Black Panther' Flying Tourbillon ref. 26620IO trades at approximately $480,000, against a list price of $170,000 — a premium that reflects both genuine scarcity and the cultural weight the piece carries beyond traditional watch collecting circles.