Watch Paparazzi

Entrepreneur Kevin O'Leary spotted wearing Audemars Piguet

Inside what appears to be an Audemars Piguet boutique or private salon, Kevin O'Leary was caught in a rare unguarded moment — hand to face, visibly emotional — as he held what is quite possibly the most personal timepiece in his already formidable collection. The watch in question is a Piece Unique Royal Oak Openworked, commissioned directly through Audemars Piguet's bespoke program, and the imagery leaves little doubt that this is a watch built to specification for O'Leary himself.

The watch displays all the hallmarks of AP's high-complication Royal Oak Openworked family, likely built on the calibre 2965 or 2967 base — a manually wound skeletonized movement with a micro-rotor or tourbillon variant, offering approximately 60 hours of power reserve. The octagonal bezel, the Royal Oak's most iconic architectural feature since Gerald Genta's 1972 design, has been transformed here with a full setting of baguette-cut rubies in a vivid crimson tone, replacing the standard polished steel. The open dial reveals the movement's bridges and wheels in their entirety, with ruby cabochons or baguettes standing in for conventional hour markers. A bold red rubber strap — color-coordinated to the stones — completes the composition.

From a collector's standpoint, Piece Unique commissions from Audemars Piguet occupy a category entirely apart from standard production or even limited-edition references. They are negotiated directly with the manufacture, often involve months of back-and-forth on stone selection, dial architecture, and strap finishing, and are never repeated. The ruby bezel alone — likely exceeding 40 baguette-cut stones in a tight channel setting — represents a lapidary undertaking that pushes this piece firmly into haute joaillerie territory while retaining full mechanical integrity.

O'Leary has built a public identity around financial discipline and hard-nosed deal-making, but his watch collection reveals a collector with genuine connoisseurship. He has been spotted previously in Royal Oaks, Pateks, and various independent marques. Receiving a Piece Unique — something literally made for no one else on earth — is a milestone even for seasoned collectors, which explains the visible emotional reaction captured in the sighting.

No official retail price exists for a Piece Unique of this complexity. Conservative estimates based on comparable ruby-set Royal Oak Openworked commissions and the tourbillon-grade movement would place the value well above $500,000 USD, with secondary market appetite for documented Piece Uniques frequently exceeding original commission cost when ownership history includes a high-profile name.