The watch-collecting community was set ablaze this past weekend, thanks to Swatch Group teasing an unexpected collaboration through a series of social posts and print advertisements. By Monday, the news was official. Swatch will release a product collaboration with Audemars Piguet, one of the most respected high-end Swiss watch brands, on May 16. It’s an unexpected move for AP, a brand that makes fewer than 50,000 watches per year at an average price of $36,000, to work with one of the largest creators of mass-market, low-cost watches. Watch collectors, resellers, dealers and influencers are all speculating about what the move means for the direction of the watch industry, and how to get their hands on one of the watches themselves. While little has been officially revealed about the collaboration, the name alone has already sparked speculation. The “Royal Pop” will likely draw inspiration from Audemars Piguet’s popular “Royal Oak” watch and combine it with the Swatch Pop, a series of pop-art-inspired watches from the 1980s, in which the watch case could be detached from its strap and clipped onto clothing or bags.Continue reading this article on glossy.co. Sign up for Glossy newsletters to get the latest on the business of beauty, fashion and pop culture.
