Rapper Jay-Z spotted wearing a Audemars Piguet

Jay-Z was recently spotted wearing the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Chronograph in forged carbon, reference 26265FO — one of the most technically demanding pieces in the Le Brassus manufacture's current catalogue. The sighting, credited to spotter Moody Nahdi, adds another significant chapter to the rapper and entrepreneur's well-documented relationship with high horology.

The Royal Oak Concept line exists outside the standard Royal Oak family as AP's dedicated laboratory for avant-garde watchmaking. Reference 26265FO measures 44mm across and is constructed entirely from forged carbon — a composite material made from randomized carbon fibre sheets pressed under high heat, producing a distinctive marbled surface pattern that is unique to each case. The movement inside is calibre 2933, a manually wound, skeletonized flyback chronograph with a column wheel and a power reserve of approximately 70 hours. The movement architecture is fully visible through both the openworked dial and the sapphire caseback, revealing a mechanism that prioritizes technical exhibition over decoration.

Within the collector community, the Royal Oak Concept Chronograph occupies a specific and respected position. It is not an entry point into AP — it is a destination piece for buyers who have moved well past the standard Royal Oak 15400 or even the offshore references and want something that reflects the manufacture's research and development capabilities. The forged carbon variant in particular is appreciated for its weight reduction relative to metal cases and for the near-impossibility of replicating the material's surface pattern, making each example genuinely individual.

Jay-Z has long operated at the upper tier of watch collecting. He has been photographed wearing AP Royal Oak Offshores, Patek Philippe complications, and various Richard Mille references over the years. The 26265FO signals a deliberate move toward the more technically esoteric end of the spectrum — less about recognizability, more about horological substance.

The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Chronograph ref. 26265FO carries a list price of approximately $290,000 USD. On the grey market, demand for Concept-line references has remained firm, with examples trading at or above retail depending on provenance and configuration — a reflection of both limited production numbers and sustained interest from serious collectors globally.