By now, most watch enthusiasts have learned to pay attention whenever Swatch starts posting cryptic teasers on Instagram. First came the chaos of the MoonSwatch in 2022, a release that had grown adults camping outside boutiques, flipping watches for triple retail, and somehow convincing an entirely new generation that quartz could be cool again. Then came the surprisingly left field Blancpain x Swatch Scuba Fifty Fathoms, which while I think was not their best looking design, proved the Swiss giant wasn’t interested in being a one-hit wonder.
Now? Swatch has gone even further, in pretty much every regard. Meet the new Royal Pop Collection, created in collaboration with none other than Audemars Piguet. Yes, AP. The house behind the legendary Royal Oak, a watch so culturally loaded you’ll see it featuring in a rap music video as frequently as on a hedge fund manager’s wrist.
And instead of doing the obvious and shrinking the Royal Oak into a colourful Bioceramic wristwatch, Swatch made it a pocket watch, because of course they did. The new Royal Pop collection launches with eight models, each borrowing unmistakable design cues from the Royal Oak: the octagonal bezel, exposed screws, textured “Petite Tapisserie” dial work, without losing any of the distinctive design. But instead of a bracelet, these watches arrive on lanyards, clips, and wearable accessories, taking inspiration from Swatch’s original POP watches from the mid-1980s.
There might be a strap on the pipeline once the initial releases lose steam, but this is what we have for now. It’s a move that’s almost trolling, and honestly, that’s exactly why Swatch collaborations work.
The MoonSwatch succeeded not because it was the perfect watch (have you handled one?), but because it made people feel like they were buying into something bigger. Suddenly, people who had never heard of an Omega Speedmaster were queueing for hours just to get a taste of space race mythology wrapped in Bioceramic. Watch boutiques became streetwear drops, collecting became content, and it is undeniably one of the most important releases in watchmaking in recent years.
But the AP collab feels different. For starters, AP isn’t even part of the Swatch Group, making this the first time Swatch has pulled an outsider into its hype machine, and quite a massive one at that. That alone sent Redditors and collector circles into meltdown the moment teaser images appeared online. “It’s the first time the Royal Oak had been “officially copied… on purpose.” (Reddit)
And now that the covers are off, the reaction seems split exactly how Swatch probably wanted. Some love the audacity, while others were hoping for a wristwatch (myself included). Many are already wondering how long it’ll take before someone 3D prints adapters and turns one into a wearable Royal Oak inspired watch.
The watches themselves aren’t exactly toys either. Inside sits a hand wound evolution of Swatch’s SISTEM51 movement that we saw on the Fifth Fathom versions, offering impressive 90 hours of power reserve. Pricing starts around US$400, with availability limited to selected Swatch boutiques beginning May 16th, and, unsurprisingly, purchase limits are already in place.
Will people queue overnight for a pocket watch? If MoonSwatch taught us anything, never underestimate what happens when Swiss heritage meets artificial scarcity, social media, and just enough FOMO. I remember being in Melbourne hunting for a specific version of the MoonSwatch, and this is bringing memories of that time. Swatch is proving itself as a very competent hype machine, and if the lines already forming out of the boutiques are any indication, it’s clear they hit bullseye once again.
