Pocket watches are back? How the AP x Swatch collab caught us off guard

Move over, MoonSwatch. There’s a new horological heavyweight in town, and it’s completely throwing out the wristwatch rulebook.

In a move that has sent shockwaves through both the high-end luxury world and the hypebeast community, Audemars Piguet has teamed up with Swatch to drop the "Royal Pop" collection. It’s the first time AP, one of the ultra-exclusive Holy Trinity of Swiss watchmakers, has ever allowed its legendary, octagonal Royal Oak DNA to be adapted by a third party.

But if you were expecting a standard plastic version of the luxury watch flaunted by elite rappers and billionaires on your wrist, think again. The Royal Pop is a collection of eight vibrant, candy-coloured Bioceramic pocket watches inspired by Swatch's modular POP range from the 1980s.

Designed to break free from the wrist, these timepieces can be popped out of their cases and worn on high-quality calfskin lanyards around your neck, clipped to a handbag, or displayed on a desk (slay).

Global chaos, tears, and tear gas

The collection officially went on sale globally this past weekend (Saturday, 16 May), and to say it caused a frenzy is an understatement. Much like the MoonSwatch madness of 2022, queues wrapped around malls from London to Mumbai starting at 5:00 am.

In Paris, police reportedly used tear gas to control the crowds, while the launch at the Dubai Mall had to be cancelled entirely due to public safety concerns. Retailing between SFr350 and SFr375 (roughly R8,000 to R8,800), the watches are already being flipped on resale sites like Chrono24 for upwards of R70,000.

For decades, luxury operated on distance. The appeal came from exclusivity, patience and quiet status. A luxury watch wasn’t something you fought strangers for outside a shopping centre at the crack of dawn. It was something acquired discreetly, often after years on a waiting list, behind glass doors and champagne service.

Now the entire model has changed. Luxury no longer trickles down from elite circles. It spreads sideways through Instagram stories, TikTok reaction videos and WhatsApp resale groups. The AP x Swatch frenzy works because it sits at the intersection of aspiration and accessibility.

A real Audemars Piguet Royal Oak can cost more than a luxury car. The Swatch collaboration offers consumers access to the symbolism of that world at a dramatically lower entry point. It doesn’t matter that collectors may dismiss it. The point is participation. 

So, will South Africa be participating?

Here is the good news: Yes, the Royal Pop is officially listed on the Swatch South Africa platform.

The bad news? Given that the collection launched at only about 200 select Swatch boutiques globally, stock is strictly limited.

Historically, major Swatch collaboration drops in South Africa have landed exclusively at the Sandton City Swatch Store in Johannesburg and the V&A Waterfront branch in Cape Town.

While local launch dates and allocation specifics haven't been released as yet, I’m sure Jozi's streetwear elite are already on high alert.

Whether you think a luxury pocket watch on a lanyard is a stroke of genius or design heresy, here’s my two cents' worth of advice for your shopping escapades: keep your eyes on the mall socials, expect the unexpected, and maybe prepare to wake up very early.