Swatch and Audemars Piguet Unveil Royal Pop Pocket Watch Collection

Swatch has officially unveiled its collaboration with luxury brand Audemars Piguet, revealing the Royal Pop Collection. Contrary to widespread AI-generated speculation of a wristwatch, the product is a series of pocket watches featuring the iconic Royal Oak octagonal bezel and Petite Tapisserie dial pattern. The collection merges AP's 1972 design heritage with Swatch's 1980s POP aesthetic, marking a distinct departure from the colourful bioceramic wristwatches that flooded social media platforms prior to the launch.

Powered by a new hand-wound caliber derived from the Sistem51 with a 90-hour power reserve, the watches are available in two styles, Lépine and Savonnette, in eight distinct colourways named after the number eight in various languages. Retailing at $400 and $420, the limited edition pieces are available from May 16 at select stores worldwide, restricted to one per customer daily.

The design is a direct callback to a 1986 Swatch line where watches could eject from frames to function as brooches, bag clips, or pocket watches. Specific design details include an octagonal bezel with eight visible screws, a transparent case back revealing the movement, and dials referencing the Petite Tapisserie pattern. The Savonnette style specifically includes a small seconds subdial at 6 o'clock.

Ancillary items include longer lanyards and desk clock holders, available online in eight colours. The 8.4 mm thick Royal Pop measures 40 mm without the holder, and 44.2 mm by 53.2 mm when snapped into the bioceramic holder clip. The launch has already generated queues outside stores, reminiscent of the 2022 Omega MoonSwatch collaboration.

The collaboration was confirmed on May 8, but the actual reveal occurred ahead of the initially teased date of May 16. Swatch stated that the collection will change the way consumers wear watches, allowing them to be worn in unexpected, playful, and dynamic ways rather than strictly on the wrist.