Royal Pop arrives as AP and Swatch turn Royal Oak codes into pocket watches

It is major news that has sent shockwaves through the watch industry, as Swatch and Audemars Piguet (AP) officially announce their collaboration on the “Royal Pop” collection, which will go on sale on Saturday, May 16, 2026.

This marks the first time Swatch Group has teamed up with an ultra-luxury brand outside its own group. Omega and Blancpain, which previously collaborated with Swatch, are both part of Swatch Group.

The campaign first sparked attention during Watches and Wonders 2026 in April, beginning with an advertisement in The Guardian carrying the mysterious message: “The real wonders are happening in May.”

Swatch has now revealed the full Royal Pop product line, along with all details. In short, the collection comes in the form of a pocket watch, with a Bioceramic case measuring 40mm in diameter and 8.4mm thick. It preserves the signature codes of the Royal Oak series, including the octagonal bezel, eight screws and Grande Tapisserie-patterned dial.

The collection comes in eight colours and is divided into two classic pocket-watch styles: the Lépine model, with the crown at 12 o’clock, and the Savonnette model, with a small seconds subdial at 6 o’clock and the crown at 3 o’clock.

Its most distinctive feature is the way it can be worn, inspired by Swatch’s “Pop” series from the 1990s. Users can wear it on a neck strap, clip it to a bag or even place it on the small stand included in the box, turning it into a desk clock.

Another highlight is the manually wound Sistem51 movement. Swatch has created a surprise by adapting its automatic Sistem51 movement into a hand-wound movement specifically for this project.

The movement offers a power reserve of up to 90 hours. The cool detail is that the mainspring barrel has been cut open to reveal the coiled spring, allowing it to function as a power-reserve indicator.

It is easy to read: if the window appears grey, the watch needs winding. If it appears gold, the mainspring is fully wound.

This is because the mainspring barrel has been designed in a skeletonised form, with a circular opening that reveals the spring inside as it winds and unwinds.

When the opening inside the barrel appears grey, the coil can be clearly seen, meaning the watch is running low on power and should be wound. When the colour changes to a golden tone, it means the spring is fully wound and the watch is operating at maximum power.

Alongside the full reveal, Swatch has announced prices of US$400 for the Lépine model and US$420 for the Savonnette model.

The brand has also released sales details and strict purchasing conditions. The Bioceramic Royal Pop collection will be available only at selected Swatch stores worldwide and will not be sold online. Interested buyers can check their nearest participating branch through the Store Locator system on the brand’s website.

To manage large crowds and prevent disorder, the brand has set strict sales conditions, limiting purchases to one watch per person, per day and per branch.

Each watch comes with a calfskin neck strap in a colour matching the case. Those who want to mix and match their own style can buy additional leather straps for US$45 each. Each person can style it their own way.

An affordable AP, or a more expensive Swatch?

Looking back to when the two brands released their teasers, there was excitement among consumers who were ready to queue up even before seeing the product. At the same time, some AP customers expressed resistance, and criticism over the risk of diluting the brand’s value was unavoidable.

From a marketing perspective, however, some see this as a brilliant strategy. Those who buy the collaboration model today may become “real” customers tomorrow.

Importantly, AP has announced that it will not take any share of the profits from these sales, but will donate 100% of the proceeds to a project supporting the preservation of craft skills among the next generation of watchmakers.

Omega x Swatch and the earlier phenomenon

Looking back at the MoonSwatch project, the 2022 collaboration between Swatch and Omega, similar questions were raised over whether it would make Omega appear less prestigious.

However, the success of MoonSwatch proved otherwise. It sold more than one million pieces in its first year, reinforcing the idea that making a luxury icon more accessible through Bioceramic material does not weaken its mystique. Instead, it can expand the brand’s influence more widely.

More importantly, the project did not take customers away from the original brand. It created momentum and helped drive sales of the original Omega Speedmaster up by more than 50%.

Beyond that, when luxury brands communicate more directly with the mass market, they also give younger consumers a chance to experience — or truly get to know — the world of iconic timepieces.