Kanye West made a conspicuous accessory the center of attention during a ComplexCon appearance: an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Double Balance Wheel Openworked reported to be valued at $1.8 million.
The white-gold watch was seen as West walked the convention floor with Bianca Censori and his daughter, North West. Steven Victor filmed a brief exchange in which West was asked what the watch cost. West answered with the 1.8 figure and laughed that the question was unnecessary. The figure is a reported valuation rather than an independently documented sale price in the available information, but it immediately explains why the wristwear became its own headline amid a convention better known for footwear, apparel and highly anticipated drops.
Later in the day, West also appeared onstage during Playboi Carti’s set. Still, the Royal Oak was the enduring visual from the visit: a deliberately maximal piece on a floor where the culture of scarce, highly visible products is already the main attraction.
A Royal Oak built to be seen
The model identified in the appearance is the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Double Balance Wheel Openworked. Its stated specifications are central to why it reads very differently from an ordinary luxury watch: a 37 mm white-gold case and matching bracelet are set with baguette-cut diamonds, while the dial is skeletonized, exposing the movement beneath.
“Openworked” and “skeleton” are closely related watch terms. In plain language, they describe a watch designed to reveal rather than conceal its mechanical components. Instead of presenting the wearer with a conventional solid dial, an openworked design makes the internal mechanism part of the visual presentation. Here, that visible movement is paired with a diamond-heavy exterior, turning both construction and ornament into the point.
The “Double Balance Wheel” name also matters because it identifies a specific element of the movement. A balance wheel is a regulating component in a mechanical watch, helping control the timing of its operation. The supplied model name signals that this mechanism is a feature worth displaying, which makes the transparent dial more than a styling exercise. It gives the wearer a view into the watch’s mechanical identity while the diamonds ensure nobody has to lean in to notice it.
Meanwhile, baguette-cut diamonds are rectangular stones. On a bracelet and case, that shape creates a more geometric appearance than a field of rounded stones. Combined with the Royal Oak’s white-gold build, the result is a piece that puts its materials, setting work and visible mechanics front and center.
Why the setting fit the moment
ComplexCon is a natural place for a rare watch to become part of the conversation. West’s appearance landed in a setting where shoes, fashion and limited-release culture already encourage people to inspect the details: silhouette, materials, branding and, crucially, what makes an item stand apart from the crowd.
A $1.8 million reported valuation takes that logic to an entirely different level. Most convention-floor conversations about an item’s value revolve around a new release, resale demand or whether a limited product will remain desirable. This Royal Oak instead operated as a headline-level object before anyone needed to know a reference number, production history or market data. Its white gold, full diamond treatment and open display were sufficient to communicate that it was no routine accessory.
That does not make it a useful benchmark for an everyday watch purchase, and it should not be treated as one. The practical takeaway for enthusiasts is not that a diamond-covered Royal Oak is the expected expression of watch collecting. It is that technical design and presentation can work together to determine an object’s cultural impact. In this case, the movement is visible, the bracelet and case are lavishly set, and the wearer has an audience primed to react to exceptional sneakers, jewelry and fashion.
For a much more utilitarian contrast in wrist-adjacent technology, the reported Fitbit Edge details point toward a GPS-ready wearable built around everyday features, rather than mechanical spectacle and precious materials. The two products serve dramatically different purposes, but the comparison underlines just how broad “watch” can be as a category.
Reportedly a birthday acquisition
West reportedly acquired the Audemars Piguet for his 49th birthday in June. That detail makes the ComplexCon appearance feel less like a product debut and more like a public showing for a personal milestone purchase. Yet its appearance at a streetwear convention ensured that it was read as a cultural statement, not merely private jewelry.
The viral response also follows from the footage itself. A quick question about price, an amused reply and a watch with immediately legible visual excess are a compact recipe for online circulation. The exchange did not require a lengthy explanation of watchmaking to travel. People could understand the scale of the flex from the reported number and the appearance of the piece alone.
There is an important distinction between what is established here and what should not be assumed. The watch has been identified by model, described by its materials and linked to a reported $1.8 million value. That is enough to discuss why it stood out. It does not establish a broader market price for every Royal Oak Double Balance Wheel Openworked, prove the value of another example, or provide details about a transaction. Luxury-watch values can be context-dependent, especially where gem setting, condition, provenance and specific configuration are concerned.
The appearance arrives amid other West product chatter
The watch moment joins several recent, separate conversations around West’s fashion and jewelry orbit. A jeweler recently posted custom grills said to be for him, but West replied that he did not know the jeweler and had not ordered the pieces. The exchange drew attention precisely because West disputed the association.
On the footwear side, the Yeezy 800 High Tactical Boot has also been shown on Instagram. A release date has not been provided in the supplied information. That uncertainty is worth preserving: a first look is not confirmation of a launch schedule or availability.
Together, these episodes show why the ComplexCon watch sighting traveled so quickly. West’s public image remains closely tied to fashion objects that invite scrutiny, whether the subject is footwear, jewelry or a white-gold Audemars Piguet covered in diamonds. At ComplexCon, the Royal Oak became the clearest example: an extravagant mechanical watch positioned in a venue built around the excitement of seeing what everyone else is wearing, chasing and discussing.
