Inside John Mayer’s Star-Studded Audemars Piguet Launch Party

Photographs courtesy of Audemar Piguet; Collage: Gabe Conte

About six weeks ago, John Mayer—the music world’s biggest watch collector—announced his long-anticipated collaboration with none other than Audemars Piguet. A sparkling white-gold Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar with a price tag the size of a condo in a mid-size American city, it is undeniably beautiful and incredibly rare. What was missing, however, was a giant party to celebrate said collaboration. That finally happened this week in LA.

Held at Sky View Estate, a striking private residence in Bel Air, the big bash welcomed collectors, friends, and press to check out the new R.O. and chat with Mr. Mayer. “It started as a watch that I would have just wanted to have the most,” he told a small group of collectors before the event. “I sent it to [former Audemars CEO] François-Henry Bennahmias, and he liked it so much that he wanted to make it and offer it to people. And I just love that [it] represents the watch that I most want to look at and be surprised by the morning that it’s announced.”

That watch from Mayer, AP’s new “Creative Conduit,” has become one of the most talked-about timepieces of the year. And in case you missed it a month ago, it certainly deserves the hype: Housed in a 41mm white gold case measuring just 9.1 mm tall, it’ll be familiar to those who already appreciate Royal Oak QPs—but the magic to this one is in the dial. In order to achieve its shimmering effect, an electroformed die is used to stamp the brass dial plate until a mesh of crystal-like shapes takes form. Afterward, the dial is PVD-coated in its signature deep blue color, resulting in a look that exceeds even the brand’s similar “Tuscan” hand-hammered dials in beauty.

Within the watch, the Manufacture Calibre 5134 automatic movement powers a bevy of calendar functions: In addition to time-telling, there’s a combination month-and-lear-year indicator at 12 o’clock, a date indicator at 3 o’clock, a moon phase display at 6 o’clock, a day indicator at 9 o’clock, and a week number indicator around the dial periphery, indicated by a central pointer hand in light blue. The dial, resembling, in Mayer’s words, “a moonless sky,” serves as the perfect frame for the poetic moon phase complication, subtly tying together the watch’s complications to its overall aesthetic.

In his new role for the brand, it’s now up to Mayer to serve as a sort of bridge between Audemars Piguet and its collectors—which is what the first two hours of the evening’s proceedings were for. The guitarist mingled with some of AP’s most important American clientele, including several other big names in music—Finneas, Chris Stapleton, and Zedd among them. The latest evolution in a long history of collecting and enthusiasm for AP, the new position is an exciting new development for one of the maison’s greatest proponents. “When somebody you admire trusts you and brings you into their world the way AP has,” Mayer said, “that, to me, is the highest honor.”

Idris Elba’s Rolex GMT-Master II

Appearing at a photo-call for his new Sonic the Hedgehog spinoff series, Knuckles, Idris Elba wore one of the most readily identifiable recent Rollies, the GMT-Master II “Sprite.” With its black and green bezel and “destro” configuration—the crown is on the left side of the case—it’s perfect for southpaws (or righties who’d prefer a watch with a crown that won’t dig into their wrists). Beyond that, it’s a standard current-gen GMT-Master II with the ability to track a second time zone, a bi-color Cerachrom bezel, and an automatic COSC-certified movement. However, the whole left-hand-crown thing might have thrown Elba as it does many other people—the actor appeared to have accidentally slipped it on upside down.

Dawn Stanley’s Rolex GMT-Master II

South Carolina women’s basketball head coach Dawn Stanley is known for her keen sartorial sensibilities—and, notably, those sensibilities extend to her choice in wristwear. As the Gamecocks sealed the deal on their third national championship win, Stanley was spotted in a Rolex GMT-Master II “Pepsi” on a Jubilee bracelet. Arguably the best known configuration of perhaps the world’s most famous travel watch, the iconic blue-and-red look that first debuted in 1954 was notoriously difficult to re-create in the brand’s Cerachrom ceramic. At first, Rolex released a modern “Pepsi” only in white gold; but then, in 2022, a steel version once again joined the mix, bringing this beloved model back into the conversation.

Scottie Scheffler’s Rolex Submariner “Hulk”

Donning the Green Jacket for the second time, Scottie Scheffler blew up the horological internet not for his incredible golf game—but by rocking a green-dialed Rolex Submariner “Hulk” ref. 116610LV. Discontinued in 2020, the “Hulk” builds upon the legacy of 2003’s 50th-anniversary Submariner, the “Kermit,” which featured a green bezel and black dial. The more verdant 40mm Hulk, with its “super” case and “maxi” dial, was replaced by the new crop of 41mm Subs, which now include a green-bezel model referred to by collectors at the “Starbucks.” (Sheesh—Rolex collectors and their nicknames, eh?) In any case: Kudos to this gentleman for not only being ranked the best golfer in the world but for having the sartorial sense to match his jacket to his timepiece.

Cody Rhodes’s Rolex Datejust

In clinching the Undisputed WWE Championship at Wrestlemania XL in Philly, Cody Rhodes fulfilled his late father’s dream. But it gets better: In celebration of this significant moment, Triple H and two fellow WWE execs presented the new champ a wrapped box with a beautiful solid-gold Rolex Datejust inside—a gesture that brought the younger Rhodes to tears. You see, years ago Dusty Rhodes, having fallen on hard times, had to pawn his own DJ in order to send his son Cody to acting school. Now, having achieved a dream that eluded his dad, Cody received the same make and model that Dusty lovingly gave up. (Watches, much as we all love them, are just hunks of metal. Stories like this are what truly give them meaning.)

Originally Appeared on GQ