After much speculation, the Swatch and Audemars Piguet collaboration has officially been revealed.
On Tuesday (May 12), we were given a proper look at the collaboration, which has generated untold interest on social media in recent days despite no official images or footage having been released. Now, that has all changed, as the collaboration has been revealed to consist of “eight unique pocket watches made for endless creative styling.”
The use of the Royal Oak was expected, as the name “Royal Pop” has been used in teases leading up to Tuesday’s reveal. Included in the reveal was footage of the pieces being crafted, with a final “click” sound adding to the theater of it all.
“This is the Royal Pop Collection, a groundbreaking union of Audemars Piguet's iconic Royal Oak and Swatch's POP watches from the 1980s,” reads a statement shared by the Swatch team on Tuesday. “At the core of this collection is another world first: a brand-new version of our signature SISTEM51 movement, reimagined as a hand-wound caliber and finished with a dash of Pop Art. And to top it all off the watches are available in one of two unique styles: Lépine and Savonnette.”
The Lépine-stye piece is priced at $400, while the Savonnette will go for $420.
Ahead of the most in-depth look yet at the Royal Pop collaboration, Complex dove into the hype surrounding this pairing, as well as broke down a theory positing that it may have been fueled, at least in part, by a trademark battle.
The latter, citing a string of trademark cases in both the U.S. and Japan, proposes that the Royal Pop collaboration could be AP’s way of getting ahead of Royal Oak-mimicking designs brought on by their losses in those cases. In short, the collaboration would theoretically allow AP to get a leg up on those who might be aiming to roll out their own affordable takes on the Royal Oak design, which the Swiss watch manufacturer first introduced back in 1972.
As for how to potentially get your hands on one of the Swatch APs, they’ll be available at select Swatch stores on May 16. Confirmed locations include Atlanta, Nashville, Austin, New York, and elsewhere.
Get a closer look at the collaboration below.
