Jay Z and Audemars Piguet are two household names who need no introduction. When Jay Z first met then CEO of AP, Francois Bennahmias, he owned 14 Audemars Piguet watches. He boldly said to Bennahmias “One day we will make a watch” to which Francois responded “Good luck with that”. As with anything in life, you can never say never. With Jay Z’s continued success, AP eventually embraced the idea resulting in the creation of a limited edition Royal Oak Offshore.
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Jay Z
In 1995, Jay Z co-founded Roc-A-Fella Records with business partners Dame Dash and Kareem Burke. Despite their eventual split, the label became one of most successful in hip-hop, releasing albums with artists such as Kanye West and Juelz Santana. Fast forward to 2005, in celebration of Roc a Fella’s 10th anniversary, Jay Z partnered with AP to unveil a distinctive limited edition Royal Oak Offshore timepiece.
At a time when hip hop hadn’t fully been accepted by the masses, Audemars Piguet saw the vision with Jay Z and decided to take a chance with him. Although some of Jay Z’s lyrics did not align with AP, they found common ground in their pursuit of perfection.
The watch was limited to 100 pieces, 50 in stainless steel, 30 in rose gold and 20 in platinum. It features several distinctive elements. At first glance the most obvious is the diamond set number 10 which incorporates the love for diamonds usually seen in Hip Hop. In addition, the case back of the watch is engraved with Jay Z’s autograph, adding a personalised touch to the timepiece.
Each watch was accompanied by a distinctive box, featuring a special 40GB iPod preloaded with Jay Z’s complete discography. Mirroring the watch, the back of the iPod was also engraved with Jay Z’s signature.
The current market value for the watch is between £50,000 and £60,000. While collaborations like Travis Scott & Audemars Piguet and Ronaldo and Jacob and Co. may overshadow it in terms of iconic status, Jay Z’s partnership with Audemars Piguet is undeniably significant. It paved the way for hip hop artists, transforming them from mere consumers to influential creators within the watch industry.
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