"Yeah, it's a pocket watch. There will be eight different versions, all powered by Swatch's in-house Sistem51 mechanical movement. And if you've been paying close attention, this shouldn't surprise you in the least."
"It started with teasers from Swatch that mirrored the approach the famously affordable Swiss watchmaker used when it rolled out the Omega x Swatch "MoonSwatch" "four years ago. See the way the "P" and the "O" overlap? It's gotta be a reference to the font on the Royal Oak. It's an Audemars Piguet collab!"
"The name, the "Royal Pop," was more than enough to assure eager fans that the new timepiece would be drawing from the DNA of the covetable, expensive, damn-difficult-to-acquire Royal Oak. There was just one catch: No one was sure what the Royal Pop would actually look like."
"Cue the deluge of AI-generated mock ups, most of which showed a faithful representation of the Royal Oak wristwatch done up in Swatch's colors and materials. People were going downright nuts for 'em. Those same folks might be wrestling with some complicated feelings at the moment."
Swatch and Audemars Piguet released a collaboration called the Royal Pop. The product is a pocket watch offered in eight different versions. Each version uses Swatch’s in-house Sistem51 mechanical movement. The collaboration followed earlier Swatch teasers that referenced Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak design language. Initial uncertainty arose because Audemars Piguet is independently owned rather than part of the Swatch Group. The name Royal Pop and its connection to Royal Oak design expectations drove speculation about the final appearance. Anticipation led to widespread AI-generated mockups showing a Royal Oak-inspired watch in Swatch colors and materials.
Read at Esquire
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