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Well, it’s official. After partnering with Omega and Blancpain, Swatch is officially teaming up with Audemars Piguet. Without a single official image of a watch—beware of all the convincing AI renderings out there—the collaboration has already transcended the watch world to capture the attention of anyone with roughly $300 to $500 worth of spending power. So, what do we actually know about this new world-conquering linkup?
The basics
In 2022, Swatch worked with Omega to create an affordable version of the latter’s famed Speedmaster. The “MoonSwatch,” a vibrant $260 take on one of the most iconic watches of all time, instantly became a cultural phenomenon. Swatch followed that up with a similarly budget-friendly spin on Blancpain’s Fifty Fathoms, a legendary dive watch.
The MoonSwatch shocked the world upon its release, but the upcoming “Royal Pop,” in whatever form it takes, is a twist that would stun even M. Night Shyamalan. Unlike its previous conspirators, AP comes from outside the Swatch Group conglomerate that owns Omega, Blancpain, Breguet, Hamilton, and others.
What is it?
We don’t know exactly what the final product will look like, but all signs seem to point to a pocket watch. Before it even teased the Royal Pop logo, Swatch was hinting at this. The initial trailer showed a series of colorful lanyards or looped straps that would theoretically clip onto a pocket watch.
What is clear is that it will share a shape with the Royal Oak. Besides the obvious reference to the watch in the Royal Pop name, watch sleuthers like Nick Gould have manipulated images from the teasers to reveal the AP model’s unmistakable octagonal shape.
Royal Pop comes out very soon
The first Royal Pop drop will take place this Saturday, May 16, in-person only at select Swatch locations. You can see the full store list here.
Big displays with the pop-art-inspired branding have already gone up in Swatch stores around the world. In front of the displays is a glass case holding a box with the words “Royal Pop” all over the lid, as well as colorful depictions of Swatch’s automatic Sistem51 movement that are clearly inspired by the work of Andy Warhol.
