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Rapper Drake spotted wearing Audemars Piguet

Courtside at a Toronto Raptors game in 2017, Drake was photographed wearing what is arguably one of the most technically rarefied pieces in the entire Royal Oak Offshore catalogue — the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Tourbillon Chronograph, reference 26550AU. The setting was characteristically Drake: home city, high stakes, and a wrist that demanded attention even in a arena full of spectacle.

The reference 26550AU is built around Calibre 2897, an in-house manufacture movement that integrates a flying tourbillon at 6 o'clock with a column-wheel-controlled chronograph — a combination that demands extraordinary movement architecture to execute cleanly. The tourbillon cage completes one rotation per minute and operates without a traditional bridge above it, giving the dial an unobstructed view of the complication. The chronograph function is operated via twin pushers integrated flush with the case, maintaining the Offshore's signature bold geometry. Housed in a 44mm case crafted in grade 5 titanium with a ceramic bezel insert, the watch balances technical mass with surprising wearability on the wrist.

Production was deliberately restricted to 70 numbered examples, placing the 26550AU firmly in the category of Audemars Piguet's most exclusive modern references. The combination of a tourbillon, a selfwinding chronograph, and the iconic Royal Oak Offshore design language in a single discontinued limited series ensures this reference occupies a very specific and coveted corner of the AP collector universe. It has since been discontinued, a fact that only sharpens collector interest.

Drake's relationship with Audemars Piguet runs deep — he has worn AP references across numerous public appearances and has been a cultural force in elevating Swiss haute horlogerie within hip-hop's broader aesthetic conversation. Choosing the 26550AU for a Raptors game, a venue where he serves as the team's Global Ambassador, reads as a deliberate and considered statement rather than coincidence.

On the secondary market, examples of the reference 26550AU command significant premiums over the last known list price of approximately £220,000, driven by the 70-piece limitation, discontinued status, and the ongoing demand for tourbillon-equipped Offshore references from serious collectors. This is not a watch that surfaces at auction frequently, and when it does, bidding reflects its scarcity accordingly.