Shaquille O’Neal is a household name in America and he has hundreds, perhaps even thousands of products that carry his name. And yet, none of them can rival in prestige when it comes to one product. His custom watch.
Advertisement
No, not the one where he was accused of putting fake jewels, but more on that later. Instead, this one is a limited edition and it comes from a prestigious brand.
This custom watch is by Audemars Piguet, a watchmaker valued at a stunning $1.048 Billion, making them one of the largest in the world. Their tribute to Shaq is a timepiece that is limited to only 960 pieces.
Audemars Piguet pays a tribute to Shaquille O’Neal
The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Shaquille O’Neal Watch 26133ST was specifically created for the Lakers legend. That name just like the watch is huge. The 48-mm dial is certainly not something normal people can wear.
The watch comes in a case that resembles a basketball and it also houses another black case for the watch. The watch dial has the trademark “waffle pattern” from the Royal Oak line from AP. At a premium of $32,750, Audemars Piguet has ensured that it is a watch that reflects the brand’s exclusive clientele.
It comes in a red-black colorway to commemorate Shaq’s career in his Miami Heat days. Another curious detail is that the numbers 2 & 3 on the dial, have been flipped to mirror Shaq’s jersey number with the Heat, 32.
It is a shame we didn’t get to see it in purple and gold, but we must say the Heat colorway has a charm about it. For more information on the watch, you can watch this video.
Also read: Shaquille O’Neal’s $244,000 watch collection features ‘fake jewels and cheap finishes’
O’Neal was once accused of using fake jewels in his watches
O’Neal’s AP watch has seen a very steady price increase in the last few years. Such is the exclusivity of AP. But let’s not forget Shaq also partnered up with a watch brand called “Invicta”. And he priced the timepiece at a stunning $244,000.
While the price could be justified if Invicta had used authentic jewels, as per several reports, it looks as though the precious stones are fake!
Of course, Shaq never commented on it and probably has no idea something like this has transpired, given that he has endorsed 100s of products.
But we are rather fond of his AP Royal Oak, we just wish we had the frame to carry a 48 mm dial timepiece designed for a 70-footer. Sigh.
