Watch Paparazzi

Actor Joey Essex spotted wearing Audemars Piguet

Joey Essex, the larger-than-life personality best known from the ITVBe reality series The Only Way Is Essex, was recently spotted wearing one of modern horology's most recognisable references — the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Automatic 41mm in stainless steel, reference 15400ST.

Launched in 2012, the 15400ST replaced the long-running 15300ST and represented a meaningful technical and aesthetic evolution for the Royal Oak line. Audemars Piguet slimmed the case, refined the integration of the bracelet, and debuted a redesigned dial with cleaner hour markers. The 41mm stainless steel case houses the Calibre 3120, an AP manufacture movement beating at 21,600 vph with a 60-hour power reserve, visible through the sapphire exhibition caseback. Water resistance is rated to 50 metres. The 'Grande Tapisserie' dial — that instantly recognisable hobnail pattern — remains one of the most imitated textures in watchmaking.

From a collector standpoint, the 15400ST occupies a fascinating position. It was itself discontinued and replaced by the current-generation 15500ST in 2019, which means the 15400ST has transitioned from current model to sought-after recent reference in a relatively short window. Collectors regard the 15400ST as slightly more understated than its successor, with a dial layout many purists prefer for its closer fidelity to the original 1972 Royal Oak aesthetic. The reference is particularly well regarded in stainless steel, where the interplay between brushed and polished surfaces is at its most architectural.

Joey Essex has built a public profile that extends well beyond Essex, having appeared on I'm a Celebrity and Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins, and his watch choices have attracted attention among fans and collectors alike. The Royal Oak, despite its decades of heritage, retains genuine cultural currency as a status symbol that bridges serious watch collecting and mainstream luxury — which makes it a natural fit for a personality operating in both worlds.

The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 15400ST carried a UK retail price in the region of £13,000 during its production run, positioning it as the accessible entry into the Royal Oak universe before the inevitable grey market premium took hold. On the secondary market today, clean examples typically command figures well above retail, reflecting both the Royal Oak's enduring demand and the 15400ST's status as a now-discontinued reference.