Rapper Gims spotted wearing a Audemars Piguet

Maître Gims was recently spotted on the wrist with one of Audemars Piguet's most complex and visually striking references: the Royal Oak Concept GMT Tourbillon in white ceramic, reference 26580IO. The sighting places the Congolese-French rapper firmly among a small global cohort willing to commit serious capital to avant-garde watchmaking rather than simply trophy pieces.

The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept 26580IO is built around a hand-wound calibre 2954 movement, which integrates a flying tourbillon with a large-date complication and a GMT function — a genuinely demanding combination to engineer at this level of finishing. The movement operates at 21,600 vph and delivers a 65-hour power reserve. Its architecture is displayed through a skeletonized dial that frames the tourbillon cage at six o'clock in AP's characteristically industrial-aesthetic style, with the large date aperture positioned prominently at twelve.

The case itself is the defining element of the reference 26580IO. At 44mm in diameter and 14.35mm thick, it is machined from white ceramic — a material that demands extraordinary tooling precision, as ceramic cannot be corrected after hardening. The result is a piece that retains the Royal Oak Concept's signature porthole lugs and octagonal bezel geometry while offering a cooler, more monolithic presence than the titanium and forged carbon variants in the Concept family. The dial palette, in tones of grey and anthracite, contrasts cleanly against the white case.

The Royal Oak Concept line was introduced in 2004 as AP's skunk-works laboratory for unconventional complications and materials, deliberately positioned outside the constraints of the classical Royal Oak aesthetic. Reference 26580IO sits in the upper tier of that lineage, competing directly with Richard Mille's more flamboyant tourbillon offerings for the same high-profile clientele — a market segment that includes a disproportionate number of elite musicians and athletes.

Gims has been a consistent presence in the upper register of watch collecting, with previous sightings across multiple luxury brands. His choice of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept GMT 26580IO reflects an understanding of genuine horological complexity, not merely badge value. At a UK list price of £170,000 — translating to approximately $215,000 USD — this is one of the most expensive references AP currently produces, and secondary market premiums have kept grey-market values close to or above retail.