In 2018, Bruno Mars, after touring globally, gifted his now-defunct band, the Hooligans, customized Audemars Piguet Royal Oak watches. These solid-gold Royal Oak reference 15202 timepieces were designed to celebrate Mars’s 24K Magic album and tour. The case-backs of each watch are engraved with “XXIVK” and “Magic,” and each features a bespoke solid-gold rotor engraved with the initials of the respective band member.
Mars also gave a unique Royal Oak to his then-manager, Aaron Elharar, distinguished by a skeletonized rotor marked with “AE.” Unlike the gold-dial watches given to the band members, this piece has a striking blue dial. Recently, M.S. Rau, a rare collectibles dealer based in New Orleans, brought the blue-dial Royal Oak to the Robb Report offices in New York for a closer look and photography.
The Royal Oak 15202, which closely resembles the original 1972 reference 5402 designed by Gerald Genta, is renowned for its sleekness, exceptional bracelet, and distinctive design. My colleague, Sebastien Laforest, wore the watch casually yet elegantly with a navy polo and white jeans. Macro shots reveal the intricate details of the petite tapisserie dial.
As a solid-gold Royal Oak, the watch is both a pleasure to wear and photograph. However, handling this piece, and another one that belonged to Mars’s bass player at a Sotheby’s auction earlier this year, brought a touch of melancholy. When Mars presented these watches to his band, he celebrated the moment on social media, proclaiming, “My boys continue to show the world what time it is, and a band that sings together blings together!” However, the Hooligans disbanded after the tour, and the subsequent pandemic halted the careers of many touring musicians. Since then, the Hooligans have not reunited, and several of these custom Royal Oaks have been resold, indicating that the band is no longer “blinging together.”
Having worked in the music industry, I understand the financial fluctuations even among successful artists. It’s a reality that these musicians, once performing on grand stages, have found themselves selling their Royal Oaks. This shift from grand performances to selling high-end watches is something I can relate to personally. Seeing these Royal Oaks, which Mars intended as lifelong mementos, enter the market is somewhat disheartening.
Nevertheless, the collectability of these customized Royal Oaks is undeniable, and the timing of these resales is notable. In 2018, when Mars gifted the watches, the watch market was just beginning to gain traction. By 2020, the market was booming, and by 2022, it had surged, particularly for Royal Oaks. It’s plausible that some band members found their financial needs outweighing their sentimental attachment to the watches. One collector speculated that Mars might have given the watches as a form of financial security, though the customizations suggest otherwise.
The initials on the rotors provide subtle clues about the watches’ origins. For instance, I initially did not know who received the blue-dial watch until I researched and found that “AE” matched Aaron Elharar. This unique blue-dial watch is priced at $200,000.
In June, Sotheby’s auctioned another of the band’s watches with a gold dial, likely belonging to bass player Jamareo Artis, as indicated by the “JA” on the rotor. This piece was sold in an online auction with the price undisclosed, possibly to a private collector who later resold it for $120,000 at Sotheby’s. It remains unclear when Artis first sold the watch.
The trend of reselling these watches seems to have inspired other Hooligans and even their manager. A gold-dial Royal Oak, with initials obscured by the bracelet in photos, is listed on Chrono24.com for $220,000. Another with unknown initials is available for $145,750 at Time Piece Trading LLC. Additionally, what appears to be saxophonist and keyboardist Dwayne Dugger’s watch, marked with “DD,” is offered for $120,000 at Happy Jewelers.
This accounts for at least four watches no longer owned by their original recipients, and possibly five if the hidden-rotor piece turns out to be one of the resold watches. The rapid dispersion of provenance in the digital age is striking.
Since the Hooligans disbanded, Mars has formed a new band, Silk Sonic, which appears to be active. It’s possible that future phases of Mars’s career might bring about new Silk Sonic watches that could also be resold as he transitions to different artistic endeavors—a characteristic often seen in great artists.
