Swatch and Audemars Piguet are aiming for disruption with their head-scratching collaboration, which, until Tuesday (May 12), still hadn’t been fully detailed to the general public.
Amid the mystery, theories as to what, exactly, Swatch and AP had cooked up continued to circulate, including one positing that this could potentially be a fake-out, of sorts. Regardless, it seems the recently teased goal of disruption will surely be met.
Below, we take a closer look at what’s known about the Swatch and Audemars Piguet collaboration, which has now been confirmed to feature two styles: Lépine and Savonnette.
What are Swatch and Audemars Piguet cooking up?
Initially, all we knew for sure was that AP and Swatch had a collaboration on the way.
“Introducing Audemars Piguet x Swatch, a disruptive collaboration that fuses joyful boldness and positive provocation with the art of haute horlogerie,” reads a recent Instagram post shared by both companies. “Two Swiss icons come together to reimagine a complete new way to wear time and bring future generations to the world of mechanical watches. Stay tuned!”
The name of the collaboration, Royal Pop, offered some hints at what to expect, as Swatch has used the “Pop” name in the past. The “Royal” aspect, meanwhile, was immediately interpreted as a nod to the Royal Oak, a timepiece first introduced by AP in 1972.
Another IG tease added a bit more context, showing what appeared to be a lanyard.
When is the Swatch and Audemars Piguet collaboration dropping?
Per the official Swatch site, May 16 is the date to keep your eye on. What may be considered a bummer for those hoping to get their hands on something from the collaboration, though, is the fact that it would appear, at least for now, that only select stores will have the items available to shop.
How much will the Swatch and Audemars Piguet collaboration cost?
Early speculation pointed to a possible range of anywhere between $300 and $500, though experts also initially suggested numbers as high as nearly $2,000. But here’s the confirmed prices: $400 for the Lépine style, and $420 for the Savonnette.
Is the Swatch and Audemars Piguet collaboration a fake-out?
While some had assumed that whatever Swatch and AP have on the horizon would be a traditional wristwatch, the lanyard tease and Royal Pop branding suggested otherwise. Theories subsequently abounded, including, but not limited to, the possibility that this could have been an elaborate setup for something else altogether.
What does the Swatch and Audemars Piguet collaboration look like?
Concept images imagining what the collaboration could look like have circulated widely in recent days, but, again, no official photos were released by Swatch and AP until May 12.
“Eight unique pocket watches made for endless creative styling,” the Swatch team said when putting all speculation to rest on Tuesday. “Two Swiss icons. One collection that rewrites the rules of watchmaking. This is the Royal Pop Collection, a groundbreaking union of Audemars Piguet's iconic Royal Oak and Swatch's POP watches from the 1980s.”
The collection features a new version of the signature SISTEM51 movement, plus “a dash of Pop Art,” per Swatch. The watches will be available in two styles: Lépine and Savonnette.
For those baffled by Swatch and AP joining forces at all, it’s worth noting that there is precedent here. You’ll surely recall the MoonSwatch, which brought OMEGA, another luxury watchmaker, into the Swatch universe. Both Swatch and Omega, of course, fall under the same Swiss parent company, The Swatch Group.
Check out more pictures of the pocket watch design below.
