Television presenter Kapil Sharma spotted wearing a Audemars Piguet

Kapil Sharma, one of India's highest-paid and most-watched television personalities, was recently photographed wearing the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 41mm in stainless steel, reference 15400ST — a watch that occupies a particularly interesting position in the Royal Oak's long and storied lineage.

The Royal Oak 15400ST represented a pivotal evolution for Audemars Piguet when it launched in 2012, expanding the Royal Oak's case diameter to 41mm from the historical 39mm of its predecessor, the 15300ST. Powered by the self-winding Calibre 3120, the movement beats at 21,600 vph, offers a 60-hour power reserve, and is finished to an exceptional standard — with Geneva stripes, beveled bridges, and a rhodium-plated rotor that speaks to AP's Vallée de Joux heritage. The dial's characteristic Grande Tapisserie pattern and integrated stainless steel bracelet remain benchmarks for integrated-bracelet sports watch design, a category Genta effectively invented with the original Royal Oak in 1972.

From a collector standpoint, the 15400ST carries considerable weight. AP discontinued the reference in 2020 when the 15510ST arrived with the new Calibre 4302, nudging the older model into "historical" territory almost immediately. Collectors appreciate the 3120 movement's proven reliability and the slightly different proportions of the 15400ST case, which some purists argue wears more elegantly than its successor. Demand for clean, full-set examples has remained firm on the secondary market.

Kapil Sharma's taste in watches has grown noticeably more sophisticated alongside his career trajectory. As the creator and host of The Kapil Sharma Show — consistently one of the most-watched entertainment programs on Indian television — Sharma occupies a rare cultural position in the subcontinent. His choice of the Royal Oak 15400ST signals a considered collector's sensibility rather than a reflexive grab for the most visible luxury logo.

On the retail side, the 15400ST carried an official list price of approximately $40,000 USD before discontinuation — a figure that now serves as a floor rather than a ceiling. Grey-market pricing for desirable dial variants, particularly blue and silver, has moved meaningfully above retail, reflecting the broader Royal Oak supply-demand imbalance that has defined AP's market narrative for several years.