Watch Paparazzi

Chef Ayesha Curry spotted wearing Audemars Piguet

Ayesha Curry, the Oakland-based chef, cookbook author, and television personality, was recently photographed wearing an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak in solid 18K yellow gold, reference 67651BA — a ladies' model that sits at the quieter, more refined end of the Royal Oak spectrum without sacrificing any of the line's iconic visual authority.

The Royal Oak ref. 67651BA belongs to the ladies' quartz segment of the Royal Oak family, a line that Gerald Genta famously sketched overnight in 1972 to save Audemars Piguet from a deepening industry crisis. The octagonal bezel secured by eight hexagonal screws, tapisserie-patterned dial, and fully integrated bracelet remain unchanged in their essential geometry. On the 67651BA, those elements are rendered entirely in 18K yellow gold — case, bezel, and bracelet — giving it a monolithic warmth that the steel and two-tone variants simply cannot replicate. The movement inside is a quartz caliber, a legitimate choice in the ladies' format where slimness and low-maintenance wearability are priorities rather than compromises.

Among collectors, fully gold Royal Oak references occupy a specific and respected niche. While purists often gravitate toward steel or the more complex mechanical references, the all-gold ladies' models have seen consistent demand from buyers who understand their production costs and relative scarcity. The 67651BA does not appear in every authorized dealer's case — allocation is selective, and its build quality mirrors that of any other Royal Oak in the manufacture's catalog.

Ayesha Curry's public persona — built on culinary credibility, a successful restaurant group, and a media presence independent of her husband's basketball career — aligns naturally with a watch that carries genuine horological heritage rather than mere logo value. The Royal Oak was, after all, the original luxury sports watch, and wearing it in gold reads as an informed upgrade rather than a default choice.

The UK list price sits at approximately £31,900, which translates to roughly $40,000 USD at current exchange rates. On the grey market, fully yellow gold Royal Oak ladies' references tend to hold close to retail, occasionally trading at a modest premium depending on configuration and bracelet condition — a testament to the enduring desirability of the AP Royal Oak reference 67651BA.