Well, after weeks of cryptic teasers and unchecked speculation, many expected a “MoonSwatch in Royal Oak sauce”: an affordable wristwatch reinterpreting the icon designed by Gérald Genta in 1972.
Instead, Audemars Piguet and Swatch have chosen a much more radical and culturally interesting path: to make a collection of “pop,” colorful and transformable pocket watches inspired as much by the Royal Oak as by a very rare 1979 Audemars Piguet pocket watch series.
A provocative watch or merely a concept to twist the current canons of watchmaking and return to the pocket watch? Let’s analyze it together.
The clear inspiration of the 1979 Audemars Piguet Pocket Watch.
To really understand the point of the Royal Pop, we need to take a step back. In 1979, a few years after the debut of the Royal Oak, Audemars Piguet experimented with a pocket version of its icon: the Reference 5691. A very rare object, almost forgotten even by many collectors, it was born at a time when haute horlogerie was looking for new languages to survive the quartz crisis.
That pocket watch retained the fundamental elements of the Royal Oak. The octagonal bezel, the eight exposed hexagonal screws, the tapisserie dial, and the architectural construction of the case were already present in that visionary experiment, suspended between traditional watchmaking and industrial design. And it is exactly from that object that the Royal Pop restarts today.
The new collection does not simply want to “miniaturize” the Royal Oak in colored plastic. It wants to reinterpret the very idea of a watch accessory: not just a timepiece, but a fashion object, almost a wearable Pop Art piece.
The design of the new “Royal Pop”
The “Audemars Piguet x Swatch Royal Pop” collection consists of eight models made of Bioceramic (a patented composite composed of 2/3 ceramic powder and 1/3 plastic of biological origin), a material now symbolic of next-generation Swatch collaborations. The case measures 40 mm, but the visual impact is amplified by the modular clip that allows the pocket watch to be transformed into a necklace, charm, or accessory to be worn over clothes.
The aesthetic is deliberately extreme. Colors are saturated, color combinations strongly contrasted, and neon details openly recall 1980s pop culture. The “Petite Tapisserie” dials are playfully reinterpreted, but the Royal Oak DNA remains instantly recognizable. Indeed, the octagonal bezel with the eight screws continues to be the visual heart of the watch, while the satin-finished surfaces attempt, within the limits of Bioceramic, to evoke the celebrated AP finishes.
The variants follow two main configurations. Some models adopt the “Lépine” architecture, with a crown at 12 o’clock, while others reinterpret the “Savonnette” configuration, with a side crown at 3 o’clock and separate small seconds. Even the names play with the theme of eight, a number symbolic of Royal Oak because of the eight screws on the bezel. In fact, each model uses a different linguistic translation of the number eight.
The caliber of the new “Royal Pop”
On the technical side, the most interesting surprise is the movement. Swatch opted not for a simple quartz, but for a reinterpretation of the mechanical SISTEM51 (with 90 hours of power reserve), offered here in a hand-wound version according to information released during the launch.
It is a fundamental choice because it completely changes the perception of the product. The Royal Pop is not meant to be a disposable gadget, but an object capable of introducing a new audience to mechanical watchmaking. The movement retains the industrialized philosophy typical of SISTEM51, with simplified assembly, long autonomy and transparent case back to show the caliber.
Of course, we are far from the traditional haute horlogerie of Le Brassus. No one will confuse this caliber with a hand-finished AP movement. But the message is clear: democratize the language of the Royal Oak without copying its technical soul. And this is precisely where the collaboration divides enthusiasts, after all, as was already the case with the MoonSwatch phenomenon.
The aftermarket theme: turn it into a wristwatch
And here we come to perhaps the most interesting point. Ever since the official reveal, the Internet has been filled with mockups, concepts, and aftermarket prototypes designed to turn the Royal Pop into a true watch-to-wrist conversion piece. The reason is simple: many wanted a “Royal Oak Swatch” wristwatch.
Integrated strap adapters, custom silicone kits, Royal Oak Offshore-style rubber straps, 3D printed conversions, and modulars with additional lugs are already appearing. But beware, many companies that have created these aftermarket straps have not yet had the watch in their hands, so chances are they will not fit well with it.
It is very likely that an entire micro-market dedicated to custom straps, alternative clips, conversion kits and fashion accessories will emerge in the coming months. A phenomenon reminiscent of that seen with the MoonSwatch, but potentially even more extreme due to the modular nature of the product. Swatch for its part has not denied the possibility that in the future it may create straps adaptable to the Royal Pop, which can be purchased in its physical and online stores.
Pricing, availability, and considerations
The official price is 385 euros for the Lépine version and 400 euros for the Savonnette version. I would venture to say that for a Swatch it is a lot. For an object bearing the Audemars Piguet name, it is very little. And it is exactly this tension that makes the Royal Pop a cultural phenomenon.
Distribution follows the strategy already seen with MoonSwatch. Sales are limited to selected boutiques, there is no e-commerce at launch, and a limit of one piece per person has been imposed in many cities. Translated: planned scarcity.
Queue images have also had a huge impact on Audemars Piguet’s image. For decades AP built its prestige on controlled scarcity, selective distribution, and the idea of absolute exclusivity. Today, however, the brand finds itself associated with urban camps, speculative resale, hype culture, and streetwear dynamics. For some purists it is a reputational detriment. For others it represents strategic brilliance. Whether it is talked about well or whether it is talked about badly, the important thing for Swatch is that it is talked about, and I do believe that the goal for the fashion house is well and truly achieved. What do you think about it?
Are you looking for the perfect gift? Explore our online store and discover the entire collection signed IWS – Italian Watch Spotter!
For all real-time updates on the world of watchmaking follow us on Instagram and visit our Youtube channel.
