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Basketball player LeBron James spotted wearing Audemars Piguet

LeBron James was photographed arriving at the NBA bubble in what became one of the more layered style moments of the 2020 playoffs: a Kobe Bryant number 8 Lakers jersey over a tie-dye shirt, distressed cargo pants — and on his wrist, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore LeBron James Limited Edition, the timepiece he co-designed with the Swiss manufacture back in 2013. The sighting came on the day he and Anthony Davis combined for 62 points to level the Lakers' first-round series against the Houston Rockets.

The watch, produced in a strict limited run of 600 pieces, is built around a 44mm 18k rose gold case paired with a brushed grey titanium octagonal bezel — a material juxtaposition that was deliberately chosen to reflect LeBron's on-court duality of raw power and precision. The grey mega tapisserie dial features rose gold applied Arabic numerals at the principal hour positions, a bi-compax chronograph layout with blue-tipped hands, and a date window at 3 o'clock. It rides on a grey alligator leather strap with a rose gold AP folding clasp. The calibre 3126/3840 automatic movement inside delivers a 50-hour power reserve and a 21,600 vph beat rate — workmanlike specs appropriate for a sports chronograph of this stature.

The Royal Oak Offshore has carried athlete collaborations since the early 2000s, but the LeBron James edition stands apart in collector circles for its material restraint. Rather than opting for full yellow gold showmanship, the rose gold and titanium combination produces a watch that reads as serious horology first, celebrity tie-in second. That balance has kept secondary market demand consistently above retail.

LeBron's relationship with Audemars Piguet stretches back well over a decade, and he remains one of the brand's most visible global ambassadors. Seeing him choose to wear his own signature piece — rather than any of the other AP references regularly photographed on his wrist — at a high-stakes playoff moment gives the sighting particular weight.

Listed at $51,500 at release in 2013, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore LeBron James Limited Edition now trades on the grey market at approximately $65,000, a premium of roughly 26% over original retail that reflects both the scarcity of 600 units and the enduring crossover appeal of LeBron's brand at global scale.