Audemars Piguet and Swatch’s New Royal Pop Watches Are Here
It’s here! The wildly anticipated Audemars Piguet x Swatch collaboration images have finally arrived ahead of its reported in-store launch on May 16. And . . . in a clever move by the duo, it comes in the form of a pocket watch. Some fans on Instagram had already predicted this twist, but regardless it’s sure to shock some that were expecting to rock it on the wrist. Will we see a procession of hype beasts wearing these so-called Royal Pops on the neck like Flava Flav or attached to Birkins like Labubus? Absolutely. But just for how long is more questionable.
The candy-hued bioceramic Royal Pops come in punchy Memphis Movement-style colors with matching straps. (There are eight total, with each able to fit inside different casings). Inside, they house a new version of Swatch’s Sistem51 caliber. They are loosely based on the Ref. 5692, the first pocket watch in the Gérald Genta design. According to Sotheby’s, these were created in a limited run in 1979 and sold between 1980 and 1985—the exact era the Swatch watch took off. And AP sent out a message by choosing a pocket watch iteration: That even the oldest forms of the craft still matter. To that end, the brand is donating 100 percent of its proceeds to an initiative supporting the transmission of watchmaking expertise to new generations of burgeoning horologists.
Not everyone was hot for the hype. In fact, several watch insiders took to Instagram to voice their disgust at the collab, calling it a travesty to actual owners of a real Royal Oak. Many felt it cheapened the brand image and a slew of memes ensued to drive home that message.
The haters have hardly deterred the masses. Prospective clients have already begun camping outside of stores in an effort to secure their spot in line according to some reports.
The effort will no doubt pay off. These will be instant ROI on the secondary market, far surpassing the original Omega iterations. Audemars Piguet is one of the hottest watch brands to date and the fact that this pairing was outside of the Swatch Group roster of watch brands, makes it that much more desirable. In fact, there are already Instagram influencer tutorials about how to resell them. One thing is for sure: The Royal Pop is popping off, for now at least.
Click here to see more photos of Audemars Piguet x Swatch Royal Pops.
This article originally appeared in Robb Report US.