Musician Kygo spotted wearing a Audemars Piguet

Kygo, the Bergen-born DJ and producer responsible for reshaping the tropical house genre, was recently photographed wearing an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph in stainless steel, reference 26331ST — a watch that sits at the intersection of haute horlogerie engineering and enduring design language.

The Royal Oak Chronograph ref. 26331ST measures 41mm in stainless steel and is built around the in-house Calibre 2385, an integrated column-wheel chronograph movement with a lateral clutch, operating at 21,600 vibrations per hour with a power reserve of approximately 40 hours. The dial follows the Royal Oak's signature Grande Tapisserie pattern, with the chronograph pushers integrated seamlessly into the case middle — a construction that required Audemars Piguet's engineers to solve considerable spatial constraints within the Gerald Genta-designed case first introduced in 1972.

The Royal Oak Chronograph lineage traces back to the reference 25860, launched in the 1990s, with the 26331 series representing a mature evolution of that DNA. The stainless steel execution is historically the most sought-after configuration, as AP's production numbers in precious metal variants have always exceeded their steel output in certain periods — a dynamic that consistently drives grey-market premiums on the steel references. The 26331ST has been produced in several dial colorways, with blue and grey being particularly strong performers at auction.

For Kygo, the choice is contextually coherent. An artist who blends precision production with broad emotional accessibility, he gravitates toward watches that carry technical credibility without sacrificing visual restraint. The Royal Oak's architectural boldness — the exposed hexagonal bezel screws, the integrated bracelet — appeals to a generation of collectors who want mechanical substance with a recognizable silhouette.

On the secondary market, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph ref. 26331ST trades at or above retail depending on dial variant and box-and-papers condition, reflecting sustained collector demand for steel AP sport references. With an official retail in the vicinity of $38,600, the 26331ST occupies a serious tier of the market — aspirational but not unapproachable, which is precisely why it resonates with high-profile figures across music, sport, and entertainment.