Watch Paparazzi

Rapper French Montana spotted wearing Audemars Piguet

French Montana was photographed wearing one of the most aggressively customised Audemars Piguet Royal Oaks currently circulating in hip-hop circles — a 41mm 'Chandelier' commission executed by New York-based jeweler EricDaJeweler. The rose-gold piece stood out even in company that included another high-profile wristwatch, its mirror-like wall of baguette diamonds catching light from every angle.

The base reference is Audemars Piguet's Royal Oak 41mm in 18k rose gold, a model that traces its DNA directly to Gerald Genta's 1972 octagonal-bezel masterpiece. In stock form the 41mm Royal Oak houses the in-house Calibre 3120 automatic movement — a 291-component, 60-hour power reserve engine featuring AP's signature 22k gold rotor — and rides on an integrated bracelet with the brand's hallmark 'Tapisserie' petit-carré dial. The case and bracelet architecture, with their eight exposed hex-head screws and alternating brushed-and-polished surfaces, gave EricDaJeweler an unusually structured canvas to work with.

The 'Chandelier' modification involves removing the factory bezel, dial, and bracelet links and resetting each component with individually matched baguette-cut diamonds, maintaining the geometric vocabulary of the original design while eliminating every unadorned surface. The result demands exceptional gem-matching across hundreds of stones — baguettes are notoriously unforgiving of colour or clarity inconsistencies — and the structural integrity of the bracelet must be preserved through the setting process. At the reported $200,000 valuation, the modification cost likely exceeds the underlying watch's retail value several times over.

French Montana has long maintained one of the most visible watch collections in rap, with a particular affinity for heavily iced AP and Patek Philippe references. The 'Chandelier' Royal Oak sits at the intersection of Swiss horological prestige and American custom-jewellery culture — a combination that carries significant status signalling within his peer group. Wearing it alongside what appears to be a standard-configuration Royal Oak makes the visual contrast emphatic.

On the grey market, a stock Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 41mm rose gold trades well above list price given persistent demand. Once a piece enters full custom-diamond territory, secondary market liquidity narrows considerably — collector value is largely personal. The $200,000 figure reflects materials and labour rather than resale speculation.