Everything We Know About Swatch and Audemars Piguet’s Blockbuster Collaboration
GQ • • business
Key Points:
- Swatch is officially collaborating with Audemars Piguet (AP) on a new watch project called "Royal Pop," following previous partnerships with Omega and Blancpain.
- The Royal Pop is expected to be a pocket watch featuring the iconic octagonal shape of AP’s Royal Oak, with a design allowing it to be worn or displayed in multiple ways, inspired by Swatch’s 1980s Pop watch concept.
- The first Royal Pop release will be an in-person event on May 16 at select Swatch stores worldwide, with anticipation of high demand and potential long lines similar to the MoonSwatch launch.
- AP’s former CEO François-Henry Bennahmias praised the Swatch collaborations for educating younger generations about watchmaking icons and had a personal history as a Swatch collector.
- Audemars Piguet recently re-entered the pocket watch market with a highly complicated "150th Heritage" model, signaling the brand’s renewed interest in this form ahead of the Royal Pop release.