Audemars Piguet × Swatch drops pocket watches: What to know and where to buy in Singapore

Swatch and Audemars Piguet (AP) have finally unveiled the Royal Pop collection, ending days of speculation that had already sparked queues outside some Swatch stores, including in New York.

The launch, set for May 16 at selected boutiques, is drawing attention because it is not a watch in the usual sense, but an eight-piece line of modular pocket, or wearable, watches inspired by the Royal Oak and Swatch’s POP concept from the 1980s.

The collection is built around two case styles and eight colourways. Six are Lepine models, with the crown at 12 o’clock, while two are Savonnette versions, with the crown at 3 o’clock and a small seconds subdial.

Swatch and AP have given them names that lean into the palette and the octagonal Royal Oak reference, from Otto Rosso and Huit Blanc to Ocho Negro, Lan Ba and OTG ROZ.

The design is compact by pocket-watch standards and deliberately flexible. The octagonal bioceramic case measures 40mm, but it clips into an outer holder and lanyard system, bringing the full size to 44.2mm by 53.2mm while keeping the thickness at 8.4mm.

Swatch says the watches can be worn, carried or clipped, which is part of the collection’s “change the way we wear watches” pitch.

Inside is a newly reworked manual-wind version of Swatch’s SISTEM51 calibre, a point that matters because it gives the collection a mechanical core rather than a quartz one. The movement has a 90-hour power reserve and an anti-magnetic Nivachron balance spring factory laser-regulated for accuracy.

Swatch says it carries 15 active patents, including one tied to the barrel construction. The power-reserve display also changes appearance as the movement winds, switching from grey to gold when fully wound.

The early response fits Swatch’s recent pattern. The MoonSwatch collaboration with Omega in 2022 produced long queues, store sell-outs and resale premiums, and Swatch later said it sold more than one million of them that year.

That pairing showed how quickly a Swatch tie-up can move from product launch to full-scale consumer event, especially when a revered Swiss name is involved.

The one-off Royal Pop collaboration follows that playbook, but with a different tone. Instead of a wristwatch built for everyday wear, it is a pocket-watch format that leans into colour, modularity and an object-like feel. That makes it a more unusual release, and also one that seems designed to keep collectors interested right through launch day.

For some collectors, the collaboration cleverly broadens AP’s cultural reach. For others, turning the Royal Oak into a colourful Swatch risks cheapening one of modern watchmaking’s most carefully protected symbols.

There is also a clearer technical story than the first wave of rumours suggested. The watches – priced at $535 and $570 – are not limited editions, but they will be sold only in selected stores, and purchases are capped at one a person a day at each store.

In other words, Swatch has kept the access broad enough to build demand, while leaving enough scarcity in the system to ensure the queues keep moving.

In Singapore, these watches will be available at Swatch boutiques at Marina Bay Sands, Ion and VivoCity. These stores will open at 10am.

This article was orignally published in The Straits Times.