Rapper Timati spotted wearing a Audemars Piguet

Timati, the Moscow-born rapper and entrepreneur behind the Black Star Wear empire, was recently spotted wearing one of Audemars Piguet's most technically demanding releases — the Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon GMT, reference 26589IO, in titanium with a blue strap. The sighting places the watch firmly in the cultural orbit of the global rap scene, where AP's most extreme complications have long held prestige currency.

The Royal Oak Concept 26589IO sits at the apex of the Concept line, a sub-family that has since 2002 served as Audemars Piguet's laboratory for experimental watchmaking. The case is Grade 5 titanium, measuring 44mm, and the movement — Calibre 2954 — is an in-house manual-winding manufacture movement delivering a 72-hour power reserve. The flying tourbillon, positioned at 6 o'clock, rotates once per minute and is entirely unsupported by an upper bridge, giving it an almost levitating visual effect when viewed through the fully skeletonized dial. A GMT function allows the wearer to track a second time zone via a dedicated sub-display, readable through the open-worked architecture without cluttering the composition.

From a collector standpoint, the Concept series commands serious attention. These are limited-production, high-complication references that rarely surface on the secondary market in unworn condition. The 26589IO in particular benefits from titanium's combination of rigidity, lightness and a cool, matte visual language that suits the futuristic geometry of the Royal Oak Concept case better than precious metals. The blue strap — echoing the iconic blue-dial Royal Oak heritage — adds a subtle nod to tradition within a thoroughly avant-garde package.

Timati is no casual watch wearer. The rapper has been publicly associated with high-end horology for years, regularly photographed with references from Audemars Piguet, Richard Mille and Patek Philippe. His taste skews toward technically complex, visually dramatic pieces, making the Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon GMT a natural fit.

The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon GMT ref. 26589IO carries a UK list price of approximately £148,400, placing it north of $185,000 USD at current exchange rates. On the grey market, demand for Concept-series tourbillons has historically supported premiums over retail, and this newly released reference is unlikely to prove an exception.