Overview
- Swatch, which rolled out newspaper and Instagram teasers in early May, set May 16 for a new product reveal.
- Clues include the words “Royal” and “Pop” in a typeface resembling Audemars Piguet’s branding and images that reference Swatch’s Sistem51 movement.
- Trademark records show Swatch AG filed “ROYAL POP” for watches in June 2024, while both Swatch and Audemars Piguet declined to comment.
- Observers expect a mass-market take on AP’s Royal Oak, a luxury sports watch that usually costs tens of thousands of dollars, though some speculate the format may be neck-worn or pocket-watch style.
- Swatch’s 2022 MoonSwatch drove a more than 50% jump in Omega Speedmaster sales, a precedent that has retailers and collectors bracing for long lines if “Royal Pop” arrives as expected.