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Musician DJ AfroJack spotted wearing Audemars Piguet

Afrojack — born Nick van de Wall — was recently spotted wearing the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept GMT Tourbillon reference 26580IO, a discontinued high-complication piece that now trades well above a quarter-million dollars on the grey market. The sighting adds another remarkable chapter to the DJ's well-documented affinity for serious horology.

The Royal Oak Concept line has always served as Audemars Piguet's skunkworks showcase, pushing materials and mechanical architecture far beyond the classical Royal Oak formula. Reference 26580IO exemplifies that ethos. The case is crafted in forged carbon, measuring 44mm, and is fitted with the striking white ceramic bezel that gives this specific variant its visual signature — a rare contrast against the dark, almost industrial tonneau-shaped case. The 'IO' suffix in the reference denotes this precise material combination: forged carbon case, ceramic bezel.

Beneath the open-worked dial sits calibre 2954, an in-house manually wound movement delivering a flying tourbillon at 6 o'clock and a GMT function with a dedicated 24-hour disc for tracking a second time zone. Power reserve sits at approximately 70 hours. The movement architecture is entirely visible through the skeletonized dial, with bridges and plates finished to a standard that rewards close inspection despite the deliberately avant-garde aesthetic.

From a collector standpoint, the Concept GMT Tourbillon occupies a specific and respected niche: it is technically credible — a genuine tourbillon, not cosmetic — while also being unambiguously contemporary in design. That combination appeals to a younger generation of serious collectors who find the classical Royal Oak, however iconic, insufficiently expressive. Production numbers were limited, and with the reference now discontinued, supply on the open market is tightening.

Afrojack has long worn his watch interests publicly, with previous sightings ranging across AP, Richard Mille, and Patek Philippe. The 26580IO fits his aesthetic precisely — technically complex, visually assertive, and emphatically not mass-market. On the secondary market, the reference 26580IO currently commands approximately $262,000, a significant premium that reflects both the complication level and the scarcity of the white ceramic bezel variant.