Swatch x Audemars Piguet: Will it be a pocket watch?
Swatch is branching out. Following collaborations with its sister brands Omega (MoonSwatch) and Blancpain (Scuba Fifty Fathoms), it now appears to have successfully forged a partnership with one of the “Big Five” of the Swiss watch industry.
The latest Swatch Instagram posts suggest that Audemars Piguet is the bride from outside the family. Could this young love lead to a pocket watch? That’s one of the questions Swatch fans around the world are currently asking themselves. And there are good reasons for that.
First, there are the three Instagram posts. The first one, from May 3, shows nothing more than what appears to be a leather-like chain in various colors. This was followed by a comic-style post featuring the onomatopoeic word “Clac.” And on May 6, the subtlety was (almost) gone: “Pop x Swatch” and “Royal x Swatch” on blue and green backgrounds—there has been no doubt about the partnership between Swatch and Audemars Piguet ever since. Meanwhile, that last post is also flashing on Swatch’s homepage.
Swatch Oak, Royal Pop, or even Royal Oak Pop Swatch? The Australian online magazine Man of Many reports that Swatch has secured the name “Royal Pop.” However, as is customary, the name of the new model won’t be revealed until after its launch—on May 16. But what will it be?
Could it be a pocket watch with a playful twist and a “clack” lid mechanism—one that could perhaps be worn around the neck, on a belt loop, or attached to a pocket? After all, Audemars Piguet created a highly complex pocket watch last year to celebrate its 150th anniversary. Is a more affordable version on the way?
And will it be a mechanical watch like the “Scuba Fifty Fathoms” with Swatch’s Sistem51 automatic movement? Or a quartz version like the “MoonSwatch”? Or perhaps both? Fraternal twins, so to speak.
Whether you’re a fan of these Swatch collaborations or not, you have to give them credit for one thing: they generate a ton of buzz throughout the watch industry, creating a sense of playful anticipation, some ambitious guesswork, and the occasional chuckle—I speak from experience 😉
