Watch Paparazzi

Rapper Sfera Ebbasta spotted wearing Audemars Piguet

Sfera Ebbasta, born Gionata Boschetti, has built a visual identity as deliberate as his music catalogue, and few pieces in his rotation communicate that language more precisely than this fully iced Royal Oak. The watch surfaced in connection with the rapper's post-'Rockstar' era public appearances, a period in which his styling shifted toward maximal, jewellery-forward flexing that matches the sonic register of his collaborations with Rvssian and Offset.

The base reference, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 15400ST.OO.1220ST.02, is a 41mm stainless steel automatic that was the mainstay of the Royal Oak line from 2012 until it was succeeded by the 16202 in 2021. It houses the Calibre 3120, a manufacture movement beating at 21,600 vph with a 60-hour power reserve, 280 components, and a côtes de Genève finishing that AP applies even to parts no customer will ever see. The dial in its stock form carries the Grande Tapisserie pattern across a brushed surface; in this custom configuration, every external surface — lugs, case flanks, bezel, bracelet links — has been removed from the original factory finish and hand-set with VS1-clarity round-brilliant diamonds in pavé formation.

Among collectors, the 15400ST occupies an interesting position: it is the reference that serious buyers point to as the last 'attainable' expression of the integrated steel Royal Oak before AP repositioned the entire line upward with the 16202. Original examples in unworn condition already trade above retail on the grey market. A custom pavé conversion of this quality, executed with VS1 stones, requires disassembly of the bracelet to a degree most aftermarket workshops avoid, which places the craftsmanship — and liability — firmly in specialist territory.

Sfera Ebbasta's trajectory from SoundCloud uploads in Cinisello Balsamo to headline slots at Coachella is well documented. His 2015 'XDVR' mixtape and the self-titled 2016 album established him as the architect of Italian trap; 'Rockstar' (2018) and 'Popstar' (2019) made him a continental commercial force. The Royal Oak, even in standard steel, carries enormous symbolic weight in hip-hop culture globally — and a fully iced 15400ST reads as a considered escalation rather than a casual purchase.

At retail, the 15400ST listed at approximately $22,500 before its discontinuation. Grey-market examples in steel trade between $28,000 and $35,000 depending on condition and papers. This custom pavé piece is estimated at $60,000, a figure that reflects both the diamond work and the residual scarcity of the reference itself.