Explore the latest developments concerning Is There Another.
Swatch is teasing something big for May 16th. It started over the weekend when a pair of newspaper advertisements with small bits of dials and a movement appeared in The Guardian. The ads seemed to suggest that Swatch was cooking up something similar to the MoonSwatch, a miracle series of high-low collaborations with Omega that caught fire in the industry. On Wednesday morning, Swatch shared a video with clues as to who this next partner may be. Which has us asking: Is there really about to be a Swatch-made version of Audemars Piguet Royal Oak?!
All the signs seem to suggest that the Royal Oak is the next watch that Swatch will translate to the masses. The teaser video posted this morning flashes the word “Royal” in AP’s distinctive font followed by “Pop.” The use of bright colors suggests there will be a pop art spin on the recognizable Royal Oak. (Representatives for Swatch and Audemars Piguet declined to comment.)
A Royal Oak collab is definitely on the way. But what will it look like?
In 2022, Swatch collaborated with sister brand Omega to launch the MoonSwatch. This BioCeramic take on the iconic, space-traveling, luxury chronograph was a sensation, to say the least. Swatch sold over a million of them in its first year, with the MoonSwatch becoming the rare horological object to cross over into the broader culture.
In the past four years, Swatch has released countless MoonSwatch variations, effectively bludgeoning the collab to the point of irrelevance. The brand also collaborated with another member of the Swatch Group, Blancpain, on a BioCeramic version of the legendary Fifty Fathoms dive watch in 2023. The Scuba Fifty Fathoms has its fans, including yours truly, but it failed to ignite anything close to the excitement we saw with the MoonSwatch.
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The cryptic “Royal” ad, featuring the same font Audemars Piguet uses on its iconic model, has sparked speculation among collectors and watch enthusiasts
It is the “Royal” version of the ad that has the internet in a tizzy. Collectors and enthusiasts – particularly us at the Style team – speculate that the “Royal” could even refer to the much-loved Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, especially given the “Royal” in the ad features the same font that the independent Swiss watchmaker uses for its own Royal Oak branding.
The Royal Oak, courtesy of Gerald Genta, is considered a grail piece for many, and one of the most recognised integrated sports watch designs on the planet since its release in 1972. We reached out to Audemars Piguet and Swatch Group but neither were available for comment at the time of publishing.
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