Should Haute Horlogerie Collide With Pop Culture? Audemars Piguet Seems To Think So

On May 16, Swatch will launch its Royal Pop collection, in a highly unexpected and rather surprising collaboration with luxury watchmaker Audemars Piguet. When haute horlogerie and pop culture collide, the result seems to be a colorful range of eight pocket watches. The Bioceramic Royal Pop collection will be available in Swatch stores globally, with prices ranging between $400-$420 (€385-€400).

While the collaboration might feel like a cataclysm in the watch industry, the product type itself also comes as a surprise. Watch amateurs and professionals around the world expected a wristwatch. Instead, the pocket watch reveal caught almost everyone off guard, and might disappoint many enthusiasts.

Yes, the versatility of the concept aligns with the overall spirit of the campaign. “A completely new way to wear time” is the official launch language. CEO Ilaria Resta said on the brand’s website that it “embodies audacity and a zest for life.” But while the messaging attempts to elevate the product into something innovative and disruptive, it might somewhat fall flat and feel too much like a gadget, which could dilute Audemars Piguet’s well-guarded reputation.

The collaboration also reflects a growing tendency among luxury houses to open their doors through unexpected partnerships with broader culture in order to reach younger audiences. But does Audemars Piguet really need cultural expansion?

Its former CEO, François-Henry Bennahmias — who previously led the brand’s Marvel collaboration — might think so, and could very well have been behind this vision. Bennahmias has long been vocal about his admiration for Swatch and has publicly praised the MoonSwatch for making high-end watchmaking feel accessible and fun.

In 2022, he shared with Swiss media Luxury Tribune: “we need to change the way the industry promotes itself, and stop criticizing certain innovative strategies,” referring to the Swatch and Omega collaboration. He expressed that “their collaboration is a great idea, which does not affect the integrity of Omega at all, contrary to what you may have heard. Why is that? Because it educates the younger generation about the icons of watchmaking.”

So, could this be the goal of this provocative collaboration? Regardless, watch lovers and Audemars Piguet clients might not share his views. An anonymous source working in haute horlogerie shared that “this partnership is certainly surprising and might not please valued customers of Audemars Piguet,” an initial sentiment echoed by some loyal clients of the brands.

It is also worth remembering that both Omega and Blancpain (the previous Swatch brand collaborations) are part of the Swatch Group and operate at significantly lower entry price points. Audemars Piguet, by contrast, sits in an entirely different category. This fundamental distinction helps explain the sense of surprise, and in some cases disappointment, expressed by many collectors.

For Swatch however, the ramifications are overwhelmingly advantageous. The brand aligns itself with one of the most exclusive and respected names in haute horlogerie. It generates headlines, creates hours-long lines, and drives millions of impressions across social media. Swatch gains another viral cultural moment, this time under the scrutiny of one of the most respected watch players. As the brand described it in an Instagram post, this is “a disruptive collaboration that fuses joyful boldness and positive provocation with the art of haute horlogerie.”

For Audemars Piguet, however, the equation is more complex.

By launching a version of the Royal Oak to the general public and transforming it into a playful, versatile pop culture object, the brand is taking a risky step toward diluting its own equity. Audemars Piguet is an independently owned house that enjoys years-long waiting lists and intentionally limits production despite growing global demand. To put it into perspective, the company produces roughly 50,000 watches annually, compared to around one million for Rolex. Its desirability has always been built on scarcity, craftsmanship, and more than a century of history rooted in the Swiss village of Le Brassus.

Sometimes, divided reactions to an unexpected collaboration are precisely what signal vision and ingenuity. Some are calling this move disastrous, others are saying there is no cannibalization or negative impact for the core AP ecosystem, especially since the object is not a wristwatch. If there is a meaningful upside for Audemars Piguet, it likely will not become visible immediately. The true payoff would come years from now, when younger audiences who discovered the brand through Royal Pop gradually mature into collectors who understand and appreciate fine watchmaking, and eventually aspire to own a true Royal Oak.

For now, however, the company will likely have to watch a large portion of the Royal Pop collection appear on resale platforms, while simultaneously managing frustration among some of its most loyal collectors. But while the immediate reaction amongst both brand and watch experts focuses on dilution or controversy, there is another perspective worth noting. Let’s not forget that luxury and mass market collaborations like this are often successful and can also function as a first point of contact between an aspirational, luxury brand, and audiences who are not yet in a position to buy into it. These consumers may not be the buyers of today, but they can become the collectors of tomorrow.

Zooming out, it seems luxury is no longer built on scarcity and exclusivity alone. Balancing heritage with cultural relevance is an extremely difficult exercise, and very few brands manage to execute it well. The temptation to be part of contemporary conversations and attract younger audiences seems to become harder and harder to resist. Today, only a handful of brands can pride themselves in constantly fueling aspiration while respecting legacy, such as Hermès or Patek Philippe.

If such collaborations are primarily designed to attract aspirational audiences and generate cultural buzz, then Audemars Piguet may achieve what it set out to do. But not without weakening, at least in the short term, its status as one of the three most exclusive names in haute horlogerie, alongside Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin. The questions is, is it a price worth paying?