Basketball player JR Smith spotted wearing a Audemars Piguet

JR Smith has never been shy about his affinity for high-end timepieces, and a recent sighting confirms the former NBA champion reaching for one of the most considered two-tone executions in modern watchmaking — the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 15400SR, the stainless steel and pink gold variant of the brand's flagship 41mm sports watch.

The Royal Oak reference 15400 arrived in 2012 as a direct successor to the long-running 15300, bringing with it an updated case architecture, a redesigned dial with revised Grande Tapisserie pattern, and the fitment of the in-house Calibre 3120 automatic movement. That movement — a 59-jewel, 21,600 vph workhorse — delivers a 60-hour power reserve and is visible through a sapphire caseback, a refinement the earlier references lacked. The 15400SR designation denotes the two-tone configuration: 'S' for steel (acier), 'R' for rose gold (or pink gold), bringing warmth to the brushed and polished surfaces of the iconic integrated bracelet.

Among collectors, the 15400 generation occupies a firm middle ground between the grail-status 15202 'Jumbo' and the current 15510 successor. The two-tone SR references in particular have developed a loyal following, appreciated precisely because they resist the full precious-metal opulence of the all-gold models while offering something more considered than an all-steel piece. The 41mm case wears generously on the wrist without crossing into oversized territory, making it a natural fit for athletes who want presence without bulk.

Smith, who won his NBA championship ring with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016, has built a post-basketball profile that includes golf, media appearances, and a well-documented appreciation for luxury goods. His choice of the Royal Oak 15400SR reads less as flex and more as fluency — the watch of someone who understands the reference, not just the brand.

The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 15400SR has been discontinued in favor of the 15510 generation, which means the grey market now sets its price. Retail on two-tone Royal Oak configurations in the 15400 era sat around $27,900 to $32,000 depending on dial configuration, but secondary market demand for the 15400SR has kept values elevated, with clean examples regularly trading above retail.