The information is officially confirmed. The release is expected on May 16.
Following the resounding success of the Moonswatch line and a somewhat more modest tandem with Blancpain, Swatch is preparing for the first time to collaborate with a brand outside the Swatch Group. Judging by the teaser published on the brand's Instagram on May 6, this involves a partnership with Audemars Piguet and the release of a homage to the Royal Oak.
The words "Royal" and "Pop" in the post, done in the same font as the engraving on the case backs of the iconic Audemars Piguet watches, hint transparently at this. Swatch boutiques are actively promoting the upcoming collaboration. Based on the available information, we can speculate on what to expect from the Swatch and Audemars Piguet partnership. Here's what the watch portal Hodinkee has found out.
- Swatch has a model with the word "Pop" in the name. The Swatch "Pop" watches first came out around 1986. Their main feature was that they could be removed from the strap and attached to a chain, placed on a refrigerator magnet, and even used in a transmitter for avalanche safety. But: these were pocket watches with a QUARTZ movement.
2. Since the teaser has a direct hint at mechanics, it is possible that the watches will be based on the Sistem51 caliber, which Swatch used in the collaboration with Blancpain.
3. In the Audemars Piguet archives, there are Royal Oak pocket watches. This refers to the model Ref. 5961. The watches were developed in the late 1970s and initially had a case diameter of 44 mm. According to Audemars Piguet estimates, about 116 pieces of this model were sold between 1980 and 1982. In the 1990s, the new generation of Royal Oak pocket watches grew to a 48 mm case.
How all this will affect the design of the upcoming novelty will be revealed this Saturday, May 16.