Watch Paparazzi

Singer Maluma spotted wearing Audemars Piguet

Maluma — born Juan Luis Londoño Arias and one of Latin music's most decorated performers — was recently photographed wearing what may be the single most technically sophisticated Royal Oak in the current Audemars Piguet lineup: the 41mm Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar in black ceramic, reference 26585CE.OO.1225CE.01, retailing at a stratospheric $445,000 USD.

The Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar has been a cornerstone of the AP catalogue since its introduction in 1984, originally built around the calibre 2120/2800. The ref. 26585CE runs on the in-house Calibre 5134, a self-winding movement that displays day, date, month, leap year, and moon phase — all governed by a perpetual calendar mechanism that automatically accounts for months of differing lengths and leap years until 2100. The movement beats at 19,800 vph and offers a 40-hour power reserve. What distinguishes the sapphire dial variant is its layered transparency: the counters — day, date, and month — are arranged in an external zone around the periphery of the dial, creating a depth effect that only sapphire can deliver.

The case and integrated bracelet are crafted entirely from black ceramic, a material Audemars Piguet has refined over two decades. Ceramic offers exceptional scratch resistance and a matte-to-polished finishing contrast that mirrors the alternating surfaces of the classic stainless steel Royal Oak — no small feat in a material this brittle to machine. At 41mm with a lug-to-lug suited to larger wrists, the proportions feel deliberately bold.

For collectors, the 26585CE occupies rarefied territory. Production numbers are extremely limited, and the combination of full ceramic construction, sapphire dial, and perpetual calendar complication in a single reference makes it one of the most complex and hard-to-source pieces in the secondary market. It is the kind of watch that serious collectors wait years to acquire.

Maluma has long demonstrated a taste for high-complication horology, often photographed with pieces well above the entry-level luxury tier. Choosing the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar ref. 26585CE suggests a collector's eye, not just a celebrity budget. On the grey market, examples trade at or above retail given their scarcity.