Swatch x Audemars Piguet Royal Pop: The Good, the Bad and the Polarizing

If the lines outside of Swatch stores weren’t your first clue, the Royal Pop is nothing short of a cultural phenomenon.

Not since the original Moonswatch has a timepiece captured such widespread attention, and not just among enthusiasts.

The general public’s fever-dream reaction to Swatch’s upcoming collaboration with Audemars Piguet has drawn comparisons to sneakers, Stanley tumblers and one cute, albeit mischievous, creature called the Labubu. Maybe you know it.

Swatch

But the Royal Pop isn’t just the biggest release of the year. It’s the most controversial one, too.

The Royal Pop isn’t just the biggest release of the year. It’s the most controversial one, too.

The brands’ decisions to partner up — for a pocket watch, no less! — has inspired impassioned takes on both sides of the aisle, with many fans questioning the longterm effects the Royal Pop will have on the legacy of two iconic Swiss brands.

Swatch

Just as many celebrate their attempts to bring more awareness to horology, regardless of the form factor.

Ahead of its release, I decided to poll staffers at both Gear Patrol and our partner site, Digital Photography Review, for their impression of the Royal Pop.

Here’s what they had to say …

Swatch

“I just don’t really see the need”

“Keychain clock? Tether timepiece? I don’t even know what to call it. But I do know that, if I can’t wear it on my wrist, I have little use for it.

“On some level, I can appreciate it. It’s an interesting interpretation. And I think a part of this is AP trying not to dilute its most iconic watch. But I just don’t really see a need for this beyond, I suppose, novelty.”

— Sean Tirman, associate editor, Gear Patrol

“This collab was very well done”

“Anything that brings watchmaking and watch brands to wider attention is A-OK in my book, and I happen to think this collab was very well done. The colors are a lot of fun and all of the designs look great.

“Perhaps more importantly, the decision to make the Royal Pop a Lababu-slaying bag charm rather than a plastic wristwatch keeps it from diluting the Royal Oak in any way, allowing it to exist as its own unique collectible rather than simply being a cheap imitation of a luxury product.”

— Johnny Brayson, editor, Gear Patrol

Swatch

“A Day-Glo pastiche line doesn’t exactly burnish the Royal Oak image”

“The gummy-candy color scheme means these look like octagonal Pop Swatches, rather than a meaningful engagement with the Royal Oak lineage.

“APs are an acquired taste at the best of times and a Day-Glo pastiche line doesn’t exactly burnish the Royal Oak image.”

— Richard Butler, managing editor of reviews and standards, Digital Photography Review

Swatch

“As a parent, this could be fun to have for my kiddo”

“I see a Croc Jibbet pendant and I can’t unsee it. That said, as a parent, this could be fun to have for my kiddo.”

— Caitlyn Shaw, director of growth strategy and development, Gear Patrol

“I’m trying to figure out who this 21st-century pocket watch is for”

“I’m trying to figure out who this 21st-century pocket watch is for.

“The Edwardian gentleman who wants to honor tradition while absolutely betraying it? A modern-day Willy Wonka who sees the whole world through candy-colored glasses? The tech bro who’s excited that someone has finally disrupted horology?

“I won’t make a full assessment until I’ve given it a proper once-over through my monocle.”

— Dale Baskin, managing editor, Digital Photography Review

“I love when watch brands f**k with people”

“I love when watch brands f**k with people. Knowing humans, this will probably be huge.”

— Steve Mazzucchi, managing editor, Gear Patrol

Swatch

“These reminded me why pocket watches died off to begin with”

“More kitschy than actually stylish. Wristwatches in general are style accessories but have some practical value. These reminded me why pocket watches died off to begin with.”

— Ethan Brehm, associate editor, Gear Patrol

“Grandpacore hits hard”

“Grandpacore hits hard with Gen Z and the return of the pocket watch.”

— Richard Laws, software engineer, Digital Photography Review

“There’s nothing I love more than a brand that’s so confident in itself that it shows it can have fun”

“It’s awesome. My strong sense is that the Royal Pop will appeal to three types of buyers: the brand curious, the young enthusiast and the drip-lord. All three matter.

“Anyone worried about these things diluting the marquee pieces is missing the point, which I think is kind of the point. Also, there’s nothing I love more than a brand that’s so confident in itself that it shows it can have fun, too.”

— Eric Yang, founder and CEO, Gear Patrol

Swatch

“An absolute L”

“Swatch and Audemars Piguet had an incredible opportunity to create the item of the summer if the piece was a wristwatch. Would that cheapen AP’s brand? Arguably. Would that also have the entire internet talking about AP for months even after the release? Definitely. A pocket watch that is only going to be seen outside on the streets of SoHo is an absolute L. They should have gone all the way!”

— James Tirado, senior video content producer, Gear Patrol

“Fascinating to watch unfold”

“I’m still pretty hot and cold on my MoonSwatch purchase, so I’ll need some time to convince myself to buy one. All the same, I’m a big fan of what Swatch and AP have spun up with Royal Pop. It’s quirky, fun and, if nothing else, disruptive.

“In the long run, this means larger impacts like improved brand awareness and pledged donations. More immediately, it has sparked a frenzy to design a bracelet. Throw in AI, and it’s made for a release that’s been fascinating to watch unfold.”

— Gray Van Dyke, associate editor, Gear Patrol

“Products in recent years have been drained of color, so seeing something vibrant is really nice”

“I wanted to dislike this when I first saw it, but after staring at it for a bit, it dawned on me: it’s just a modern take on a pocket watch that’s meant to be fun.

“I have been loving more playful design lately. It’s something we’ve been seeing making a tiny comeback in the camera world, too, and this fits right into that idea. It’s neat seeing something typically very serious and formal with a lighthearted look.

“Products in recent years have been drained of color, so seeing something vibrant is really nice. This type of application seems perfect for it, too.”

— Abby Ferguson, features editor, Digital Photography Review

“I’m more interested in the debut of the hand-wound Sistem51 movement”

“Watch enthusiasts love a good branded accessory, like a hat or keychain. People are very willing to pay for cool swag, as demonstrated by a thriving second-hand market. To me, that’s where the Royal Pop fits in.

“Personally, I’m more interested in the debut of the hand-wound Sistem51 movement, and I hope Swatch puts it in some proper wristwatches.”

— Brad Lanphear, associate editor, Gear Patrol

Swatch

“This brings back nostalgic memories”

“This brings back nostalgic memories of the time my grandfather gave me his Waltham pocket watch, which he got from his father.

“I kept it on display in the house but I could never be bothered keeping such a watch on my person … at least until seeing what Swatch has come up with. Especially with one being made in my favorite color, deep blue, I may have to finally commit.”

— Matthew Anderson, community manager, Digital Photography Review

“I’m not a Swatch guy in general, let alone a Swatch pocket watch guy”

“The Royal Pop seems like something I can appreciate from afar, but it’s not something I’d ever be compelled to see in the wild. I mean, I’m not a Swatch guy in general, let alone a Swatch pocket watch guy. But more power to them.”

— Tucker Bowe, associate editor, Gear Patrol

Swatch

“As someone fortunate enough to own an AP, I don’t feel remotely threatened by this collaboration”

“Practicality stopped being the point of luxury consumption a long time ago. After Labubus, Stanley cups and every other seemingly random flex object of the last five years, I’m not betting against this becoming a viral status symbol.

“Honestly, though, as someone fortunate enough to own an AP, I don’t feel remotely threatened by this collaboration.

“Purists will see this as AP ‘cheapening’ itself. But luxury brands don’t survive purely because enthusiasts think they’re special. They survive because everyone else does, too. And this is clearly about AP trying to become culturally recognizable outside of watch forums and athlete or hip-hop style spotting.

“The question is whether enough people walk away understanding that behind the playful plastic object is a brand capable of making some of the finest watches on Earth.”

— Ben Bowers, cofounder and chief content officer, Gear Patrol