Watch Paparazzi

Singer Amanda Joy Michalka spotted wearing Audemars Piguet

Amanda Joy Michalka, known professionally as AJ of the pop duo Aly & AJ, surfaced recently wearing one of the most quietly radical watches Audemars Piguet ever produced: the vintage yellow gold 'Disco Volante,' reference 5093. In a landscape where celebrity watch choices tend to default to modern Royal Oaks and Nautiluses, a 1950s covered-lug dress watch is a genuinely unexpected — and informed — selection.

The Audemars Piguet Disco Volante Ref. 5093 dates to the mid-to-late 1950s, a period when the Le Brassus manufacture was pushing the boundaries of case architecture and movement slimness simultaneously. The nickname — 'flying saucer' in Italian — derives from the watch's unmistakable silhouette: a round case with dramatically swept, integrated lugs that wrap over the bracelet or strap attachment points, creating a seamless, almost sculptural form that bears a striking resemblance to science-fiction spacecraft imagery of the era. The overall thickness sits comfortably below 5mm, placing it firmly in ultra-thin territory by any standard, including today's.

The design is attributed to Gerald Genta, then still early in the career that would later yield both the Royal Oak and the Nautilus. That the same creative mind responsible for sport-luxury horology's two defining icons also conceived this delicate, almost futuristic dress piece speaks to the breadth of Genta's draftsmanship. The Ref. 5093 houses a slim manual-winding movement typical of Audemars Piguet's high-finishing standards of the period, with a yellow gold case that amplifies the warm, organic quality of the covered-lug design.

For collectors, the Disco Volante occupies a niche but highly respected corner of the vintage AP universe. Production numbers were small, surviving examples in strong condition are scarce, and the Genta attribution has only increased academic and market interest over the past decade as his pre-Royal Oak portfolio has been more thoroughly documented.

Michalka's choice reads as genuinely personal rather than stylist-driven — the Disco Volante is not an obvious flex but a piece that rewards knowledge. On the secondary market, fine examples in yellow gold have traded in the $8,000–$18,000 range depending on condition, dial originality, and provenance, with Genta-documented pieces commanding the upper end.