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Boxer Anthony Joshua spotted wearing Audemars Piguet

Anthony Joshua appeared in front of cameras during his pre-fight interview circuit ahead of the August rematch with Oleksandr Usyk sporting one of the most coveted wristwatches produced in the last decade: the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 'Jumbo' Extra-Thin 50th Anniversary in 18K yellow gold, reference 16202BA. The choice was hard to miss — and impossible to ignore for anyone with knowledge of the current collector market.

Audemars Piguet launched the 16202 series in 2022 as the definitive celebratory statement for the Royal Oak's fiftieth birthday, deliberately restoring the original 39mm 'Jumbo' proportions that Gerald Genta sketched for the 1972 A-series. The 16202BA executes that blueprint in solid 18K yellow gold, paired with an integrated bracelet and the brand's signature Grande Tapisserie dial — here rendered in a warm, champagne-toned finish that suits the case metal. Beating inside is Calibre 7121, an ultra-thin automatic movement measuring just 3.05mm in height and tracing its lineage directly to the Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 920 that powered the original Royal Oak. The movement operates at 19,800 vph and offers a 40-hour power reserve — modest by modern standards, but entirely appropriate for a manufacture that prizes thinness above all else in this reference.

For collectors, the 16202 family occupies a tier of its own. The steel 16202ST has been essentially unobtainable at retail since launch, and the yellow gold 16202BA is rarer still. Its £59,400 list price bears almost no relationship to reality: grey-market transactions regularly settle around the $650,000 mark, a near ten-times multiple that reflects genuine scarcity, anniversary provenance, and the enduring cultural weight of the Royal Oak name. This is not speculation — it is a market consensus backed by consistent auction and dealer data.

Joshua, who has long demonstrated a serious interest in high-end horology beyond the usual celebrity wardrobe-dressing, selected a piece that communicates substance rather than simple spending power. In the context of a high-pressure media week preceding one of boxing's most anticipated rematches, the 16202BA reads as a considered statement — understated in design, extraordinary in context.

For anyone hoping to acquire a 16202BA through authorised channels, the waiting list situation remains effectively closed. Secondary market availability is limited, and when examples do surface, prices show no sign of softening. As anniversary editions go, Audemars Piguet produced something that will define the Royal Oak's second half-century as decisively as the original A-series defined its first.