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Swatch and Audemars Piguet Unveil Royal Pop Pocket Watches for May 16 Launch

The pocket‑watch drop uses Swatch’s hype playbook to open AP design to new buyers at $400 pricing.

Overview

  • The partners, which unveiled the Royal Pop on Tuesday, described eight colorful pocket watches that merge Royal Oak details with Swatch’s 1980s POP concept.
  • The lineup comes in two formats called Lépine and Savonnette, with U.S. prices set at $400 and $420 and sales limited to one per person in select Swatch boutiques.
  • Swatch reworked its SISTEM51 into a new hand‑wound movement with a 90‑hour power reserve and a Nivachron anti‑magnetic hairspring.
  • Store lists confirm in‑person launches from New York to Dubai and Singapore, with regional prices published and visible queues forming days before release.
  • Audemars Piguet says proceeds will fund training in traditional watchmaking skills, as social media shows both intense buzz and concern about diluting the Royal Oak’s exclusivity.