Audemars Piguet x Swatch Royal Pop: Perhaps The Most Unusual Royal Oak of All Time

Audemars Piguet and Swatch have unveiled their collaboration: a modular watch priced at €385 and €400 respectively, called the Royal Pop. Yes, you heard right: the brand that launched the RD#5 Royal Oak “Jumbo” Flying Tourbillon Chronograph at 260,000 Swiss francs is now presenting a watch for around €385. The Royal Pop combines two concepts: the Pop Swatch from the 1980s and the Royal Oak’s distinctive design language. But the collaboration raises some bigger questions: could it harm Audemars Piguet? How will the Royal Pop be worn? And above all: what are the two partners aiming to achieve with this move?

You can find out all this, plus a closer look at the models, in this article.

The two concepts behind the Royal Pop: Pop Swatch and Royal Oak

On 6 May, Swatch released a teaser that sent the watch world into a frenzy – all that could be seen were the words ‘Royal’ and ‘Pop’, which were almost identical to the Royal Oak’s typeface. The watch community then began creating visualisations using artificial intelligence – some of which were already very close to the product now unveiled – and speculated on the appearance and function of the Swatch x Audemars Piguet collaboration.

Well, several days ahead of the officially announced release date of 16 May, we now have confirmation: the Royal Pop is coming, and it combines two watch concepts. The first concept in the range is the Pop Swatch, which was manufactured between 1986 and 1995. The unique feature of the Pop Swatch lay in its modular construction, in which the watch case was not permanently attached to the strap but was integrated into a clip system that allowed the movement housing to be ‘popped’ out of the plastic frame. This design made the Pop Swatch versatile: it could be worn either on the wrist with a strap, attached to a handbag with a chain, or around the neck.

The second concept incorporated into the Royal Pop is, of course, the octagonal design of the Royal Oak. As is well known, watch designer Gérald Genta conceived it overnight; in the Royal Oak, he combined an octagonal bezel with eight hexagonal screws and a monobloc case in a tonneau shape, into which a bracelet was integrated. Upon its launch in 1972, the Royal Oak, as ‘the world’s first luxury sports watch’, marked a turning point in the watch industry and simultaneously laid the foundation for all subsequent luxury sports watches in steel with a fully integrated bracelet that were to follow.

A historic milestone: the Royal Oak as a pocket watch

The Royal Pop is particularly fascinating because it not only brings together two obvious design concepts, but also recalls a lesser-known yet remarkable chapter in the history of the Royal Oak for Audemars Piguet. As early as the late 1970s, Audemars Piguet adapted the Royal Oak’s characteristic design language to the format of a pocket watch: With the reference 5691, the first Royal Oak Pocket Watch, Audemars Piguet deliberately separated the iconic design from the integrated bracelet and transformed the Royal Oak – originally conceived as a luxury sports watch – into a format that could be worn on a chain.

This is precisely where the most fascinating parallel with the Royal Pop lies: it, too, removes the Royal Oak from its familiar context on the wrist and reinterprets it as a wearable, transformable object. In the case of the historic 5691 model, however, this was achieved using the classic vocabulary of haute horlogerie: precious materials, a understated appearance and the aura of a rare collector’s item. The Royal Pop translates the same basic idea into a completely different present. Instead of exclusivity and precious metals, the focus is on bioceramic, colour, modularity and a deliberately chosen, accessible price.

The Reference 5691 and the Royal Pop tell the same story from two completely different perspectives. What was released by Audemars Piguet between 1980 and 1982 as a rare collector’s item, with a production run of just over 100 pieces, is now making a comeback at Swatch as a colourful, accessible accessory. The fact that both are nevertheless instantly recognisable as Royal Oaks demonstrates the true quality of Gérald Genta’s design: it is strong enough to change context without losing its true identity.

Which Royal Pop models are available?

The new Royal Pop collection comprises eight models inspired by the Royal Oak, clearly drawing on its design DNA: the so-called ‘Petite Tapisserie’ dial, the octagonal bezel and the eight hexagonal screws are all present. The number of models is no coincidence either: the eight variants refer to the eight sides of the case and the eight screws on the bezel of the Royal Oak. The Royal Pop is crafted from Bioceramic, a material comprising two-thirds ceramic powder and one-third bio-based material derived from the castor oil plant. Without the case holder, the Royal Pop measures 40 mm in diameter and just 8.4 mm in height. When the movement container is ‘popped’ into the holder, the dimensions increase to 44.2 × 53.2 mm.

The Royal Pop is available in two versions: the first is a Lépine-style pocket watch with the winding crown at 12 o’clock, where the time is read via two hands – hours and minutes. The Lépine-style version is available in six variants: the “OTTO ROSSO” with a cherry-red bezel and pink dial (Ref. SSX03R100N), the “HUIT BLANC” with a white finish and colourful screws, hands and hour markers (Ref. SSX03W100N), the “GREEN EIGHT” with a uniform green design (Ref. SSX03G100N), the “BLAUE ACHT” with a light blue bezel and bright green dial (Ref. SSX03L101N), the “ORENJI HACHI” with a navy blue design and orange screws and elements on the dial (Ref. SSX03L103N) and, last but not least, the “OCHO NEGRO” with a white bezel and black dial (Ref. SSX03W101N).

The second version is a Savonette-style pocket watch, which is laid on its side, features a winding crown at 3 o’clock, and combines hour and minute hands with a small seconds dial at 6 o’clock. This version is available in two models: the “LAN BA” with a light blue bezel and blue dial (Ref. SSX03L100N) and the “OTG ROZ” with a yellow bezel and turquoise dial (Ref. SSX03J100N).

The Swatch Pop movement: Sistem51, now available as a hand-wound model

Inside the Royal Pop lies the Sistem51, first introduced in 2013, which remains the only mechanical ‘Swiss Made’ movement to be manufactured entirely by automated processes. The Sistem51 was developed in collaboration with the movement manufacturer ETA and consists of exactly 51 components.

Its features include a power reserve of over 90 hours and the anti-magnetic Nivachron balance spring (which, incidentally, is also fitted in some Audemars Piguet watches). Designed to protect against magnetic fields and temperature fluctuations, as well as to provide better shock resistance in everyday use, the spring supports the watch’s accuracy and ensures that the movement operates with a standard deviation of -5/+15 seconds per day.

Furthermore, the Sistem51 movement fitted in the Royal Pop is the first hand-wound version of this calibre. Every watch in the Royal Pop collection features sapphire crystal on both the top and bottom of the case. The case back is pad-printed with the Royal Pop logo.

How can the Royal Pop be worn?

The Royal Pop’s key strength lies in its modular design, which allows for great versatility: following the Swatch Pop system, this means that the octagonal Royal Oak watch case can be ‘popped’ out of the frame to change the watch’s appearance or function. Initially, the Royal Pop appears as a pocket watch with a calfskin strap that can be worn, for example, around the neck, on a handbag or on a trouser waistband. Also available from the outset, Swatch offers an accessory that allows the Swatch Pop to be transformed into a table clock by inserting the watch case into a suitable frame.

However, another advantage of its modular design could be the ability to wear it on the wrist using an additional attachment – yet, surprisingly, no such wristband has yet been announced or unveiled. On 16 May, the official launch date of the collaboration, or in the coming months, such an extension could be unveiled, enabling the watch to be worn on the wrist. This would be the natural and logical step to perfectly complement the Royal Pop’s modular design.

Will this collaboration harm Audemars Piguet – and, by extension, the Royal Oak?

However, there are also points of criticism regarding the collaboration: like the Swatch Bioceramic Scuba Fifty Fathoms collection, the Royal Pop is also fitted with the Sistem51 movement. Whilst this is a mechanical movement, which enhances the watch’s value, On the other hand, a disadvantage of this movement is that it cannot be serviced or repaired in the traditional sense, as it is 100 per cent machine-assembled and largely automated, and where screws would normally hold the bridges in place, pins are laser-welded. Although Swatch promises that the Sistem51 is a maintenance-free movement for up to 20 years, this can make the Royal Pop seem like a sort of ‘disposable product’, designed only for temporary use rather than longevity. This stands in contrast to Audemars Piguet’s high standards of mechanical quality.

Another point of criticism that has emerged in the general discussion about the collaboration is that of brand dilution and the question of whether Audemars Piguet is ultimately cannibalising its own Royal Oak with the Royal Pop. The Royal Oak is considered by far Audemars Piguet’s most important revenue driver, accounting for 85 per cent of the 2.6 billion Swiss francs in turnover, according to Handelszeitung. Yet the Royal Pop also reveals a key strength of the Royal Oak itself: its design versatility. Since its launch in 1972, Gérald Genta’s design has been repeatedly adapted, scaled down, enlarged and enhanced with precious metals and complications, so that by 1989 the Royal Oak family already comprised 129 different models. At the same time, it also became a defining influence for the brand’s later product lines – such as the Royal Oak Offshore. To this day, the design, which has been adapted over the decades, has remained true to its octagonal construction and recognisable as the Royal Oak, without losing its identity.

So, is Audemars Piguet ultimately cannibalising its own Royal Oak with the Royal Pop? In commercial terms, hardly, as the Royal Pop’s price, target audience and design are too different for that to happen. The bigger question is not whether the Royal Pop is taking buyers away from the Royal Oak, but whether it is damaging the Royal Oak’s cultural reputation. The Royal Pop therefore demonstrates not so much a weakness as the enormous resilience of the Royal Oak design. Nevertheless, Audemars Piguet is walking a fine line with the Royal Pop: whilst visibility can generate desirability, overly unrestricted accessibility can also diminish the impression of exclusivity and prestige associated with the ‘original’.

What could Swatch and Audemars Piguet possibly be aiming to achieve with the Royal Pop?

The collaboration has achieved one thing above all else: the playful, modular and colourful Royal Pop has certainly got people talking. The initial excitement and enthusiasm surrounding the collaboration has long since spread beyond the watch industry and found its way into pop culture discourse.

So was this a shrewd move on Audemars Piguet’s part? At the very least, the Royal Oak’s iconic octagonal design has once again become part of the pop-cultural conversation – and, by offering a more affordable package, provides younger target groups with an initial emotional connection that could later lead to an interest in a ‘genuine’ – and considerably more expensive – Royal Oak. This intention is underlined by the fact that Audemars Piguet is channelling all profits generated by the Royal Pop into projects that serve to preserve watchmaking savoir-faire.

Has it been worth it for Swatch? Swatch Group’s share price has seen a significant rise over the past year, a trend that has accelerated following the announcement of the Royal Pop. Furthermore, the success of the Royal Pop – which is already becoming apparent and could even surpass that of the MoonSwatch – could open the door to further collaborations with major brands keen to capitalise on the increased visibility – who would have thought a few months ago that such a collaboration with Maison Audemars Piguet would have been possible?

One could certainly argue that the collaboration has been beneficial for both parties: for Audemars Piguet through increased visibility and greater brand awareness, and for Swatch through publicity and potentially higher sales figures – though it remains to be seen whether this brand awareness and publicity will prove sustainable. One thing is clear from the collaboration, however: modern luxury is no longer defined solely by exclusivity, but increasingly also by cultural visibility.

Price & Availability of the Royal Pop

The Audemars Piguet x Swatch Royal Pop will be available exclusively in selected Swatch stores worldwide from 16 May 2026. Retail outlets can be found in the ‘Store Locator’ at swatch.com. As with other Swatch collaborations, only one watch per person, per day and per selected store may be purchased. The price is CHF 350 / EUR 385 / USD 400 for the hour and minute versions and CHF 375 / EUR 400 / USD 420 for the versions with an additional small seconds hand.

audemarspiguet.com I swatch.com