Swatch celebrates Audemars Piguet’s iconic Royal Oak with a collection of eight joyful and colorful Bioceramic pocket watches inspired by the Swatch POP.
Audemars Piguet and Swatch introduce Royal Pop, an innovative watch collection that combines joyful boldness and positive provocation with refined watchmaking craftsmanship. Named Royal Pop, the collection draws inspiration from pop art — the artistic movement that transformed imagery from everyday popular culture into vibrant, colorful, and energetic works of art. Audemars Piguet and Swatch decided to merge some of the signature features of both brands into an unconventional pocket watch available in eight different versions, designed to be worn in many different ways.
This partnership is more than a tribute; it is an extraordinary collaboration between two icons of Swiss watchmaking. The Royal Pop watches take inspiration from the legendary Audemars Piguet Royal Oak collection, launched in 1972, as well as from the Swatch POP watches of the 1980s.
This collection will change the way we wear watches. The AP × Swatch watches break free from the wrist thanks to a premium calfskin leather lanyard with contrasting stitching, allowing them to be worn in unexpected, playful, and dynamic ways. The choice is yours: wear it around your neck, on your wrist, in your pocket, attached to your bag, or however else you like. There are no limits, with three different lanyard lengths available, as well as a small retractable stand that transforms the watch into a desk clock.
The collection of eight Swiss Made Bioceramic models is powered by Swatch’s flagship innovative SISTEM51 movement, now presented in a new hand-wound version protected by 15 active patents. SISTEM51 is a true industry achievement as the world’s only Swiss-made mechanical movement assembled entirely through a 100% automated process.
Key features of the movement include a 90-hour power reserve, an anti-magnetic Nivachron™ balance spring, and precise laser regulation performed directly at the factory. It is also worth noting that the Nivachron™ balance spring was developed in collaboration with Audemars Piguet and is therefore used in several models from the brand as well.
And that’s not all. This remarkable movement is partially visible through the transparent caseback of all eight Royal Pop watches, each featuring its own unique color scheme. Customers can choose not only from different colors, but also between two versions:
• A Lépine-style pocket watch, with the winding crown positioned at 12 o’clock. Time is displayed using two hands (hour and minute). This version is available in six different models.
• A Savonnette-style pocket watch, with the winding crown positioned at 3 o’clock. Available in two models, this version features a small seconds subdial located at 6 o’clock.
Why exactly eight Audemars Piguet × Swatch models? The number references the eight sides of the case and the eight screws of the iconic Royal Oak bezel. And since nothing here is accidental, Royal Pop also includes eight additional patents related to the case construction, as the original Royal Oak case is exceptionally complex, combining a rounded octagon, a circle, and a barrel-shaped form.
All of these characteristics are present in Royal Pop. One patented feature is the mainspring barrel design (the watch’s power reserve), which serves not only as a decorative element but also as a power reserve indicator. When the barrel chambers appear grey, the coils of the mainspring are visible, indicating that the watch needs winding. When the barrel appears gold, the spring is no longer visible through the chambers. This means the spring is fully tensioned and the watch is operating at full power.
The “Petite Tapisserie” dial decoration has been a signature feature of the Royal Oak collection since 1972. Each of the eight Royal Pop models features this instantly recognizable Royal Oak design element. The octagonal Royal Oak bezel is iconic, with its eight hexagonal screws representing one of the most unconventional elements of the Royal Oak design. The bezel itself goes far beyond a simple eight-sided shape. Emphasizing the octagonal form, the eight hexagonal screws were arguably the most groundbreaking feature of the original 1972 Royal Oak. Royal Pop takes inspiration from this, and the white model named HUIT BLANC boldly showcases the screws in eight different colors. Across all eight models, the eight screws on the octagonal bezel and caseback are integrated directly into the case.
Other technical features of Royal Pop include the vertical satin-brushed finishing on the bezel and case, echoing the original decorative elements of Royal Oak. To maintain the resemblance, the dial also features a “Tapisserie” effect. The movement caseback is decorated using digital printing. The crown, case, and lanyard attachment are made from Bioceramic. For optimal nighttime visibility, the hour and minute hands, as well as the hour markers, are coated with Grade A Super-LumiNova®.
All models in the collection feature two sapphire crystals: one on the front of the case and one on the caseback. The caseback also carries the Royal Pop logo applied via pad printing. Both sapphire crystals — chosen for their enhanced scratch resistance — are treated with an anti-reflective coating. The unique Bioceramic composition — two-thirds ceramic powder and one-third bio-sourced material derived from castor oil — provides a strength and smoothness that truly must be experienced to be believed. The Audemars Piguet × Swatch collaboration logos appear on both the dial and the crown.
The case attaches by clipping the back of the watch onto a dedicated hook, which can be detached when needed. The accompanying clicking sound becomes another distinctive acoustic signature of the collection.
The Audemars Piguet × Swatch collection will be available exclusively from May 16, 2026, at selected Swatch boutiques. Find your nearest point of sale using the store locator on swatch.com. As with other Swatch collaborations, purchases are limited to one watch per person, per day, per selected physical store.