Rapper Huang Zitao spotted wearing a Audemars Piguet

Huang Zitao, the Chinese rapper and former EXO member known professionally as Tao, was recently photographed wearing the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon GMT reference 26589IO — a watch that sits at the upper boundary of AP's complications portfolio and demands genuine horological attention.

The Royal Oak Concept line has always served as Audemars Piguet's experimental laboratory, and the 26589IO represents one of its most refined expressions. The 44mm Grade 5 titanium case — lighter and more wrist-friendly than steel despite its substantial diameter — houses the manually wound calibre 2965, a movement developed entirely in-house at Le Brassus. The flying tourbillon, positioned at 6 o'clock, rotates on a single axis every 60 seconds and serves simultaneously as the running seconds display. Crucially, the absence of a conventional upper bridge gives the tourbillon its 'flying' designation and allows an unobstructed appreciation of the cage construction. A second time zone is displayed via a dedicated 12-hour disc, making the GMT complication genuinely functional rather than decorative.

From a collector's perspective, the Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon GMT occupies a specific and respected niche. It is not a watch for those chasing AP's more accessible references — it is a statement about mechanical ambition. The openworked dial architecture, forged carbon and titanium finishing contrasts, and the sheer engineering density of calibre 2965 make the 26589IO a credible centrepiece in any serious high-complication collection. Production volumes are limited, and the reference does not sit quietly in secondary market catalogues for long.

Huang Zitao's watch choices have consistently reflected a preference for technically substantial pieces rather than purely status-driven acquisitions. The Royal Oak Concept in titanium aligns with that profile — understated in colour palette, extreme in mechanical content.

At a list price of approximately $198,400, the 26589IO is already a significant commitment. On the grey market, demand has pushed current valuations toward the $315,000 mark — a premium of nearly 60 percent over retail that reflects both the reference's genuine scarcity and the enduring commercial strength of the Royal Oak Concept family.