Is Swatch really about to give the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak the MoonSwatch treatment?

In case you've missed the slew of ads across social media and in some national newspapers, there's a big launch coming from Swatch next week. There's no official confirmation about what's arriving, but there are enough clues in the bevy of ads to set the internet into a spin.

That spin is possibly quite justified, as all signs point towards a MoonSwatch-like version of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak. Let me kick off with what is actually shown and said in the ads, before we dive into the conjecture.

What we know about the Swatch x Audemars Piguet collaboration

To date, there are three videos on the Swatch Instagram page, each of which give us some information about the piece. First up is a simple gliding shot of a lanyard in a range of colours.

There's no definitive word on what that means, but it has prompted some users to suggest the model could be a pocket watch. That would follow a distinct trend for such pieces in the last few months.

The next video showcases a pop-art styled 'Clac!' similar to what you might have found in an old school comic book. That's more ambiguous, possibly pointing to an overall design style, or a theme of designs – imagine having an actual Batman watch, for example.

The third video is the most noteworthy, though. That shows the "x Swatch" moniker, suggesting that the model will be a tie-in with another brand, similar to what it has done with the MoonSwatch and the Swatch x Blancpain Scuba Fifty Fathoms.

It also showcases the text 'Royal Pop' in the iconic styling of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak. That includes the crossed-over letters 'P' and 'O', similar to how AP cross over the 'O' and 'A' in Oak.

What we think about the Swatch x Audemars Piguet collaboration

So, what is the current best guess for what's on offer? Well, I think it's this mock-up of a 2-in-1 design, which features a Royal Oak watch head with either a lanyard strap for pocket watch orientation, or a wrist strap for wearing as a watch.

That seems to incorporate all of the elements we've seen so far, with the Pop as a nod to the old school Pop Swatch models, which could be worn on a strap, or as a necklace.

That suggestion also does away with the iconic Royal Oak integrated bracelet design, which I suspect will prove to be correct. There are just so many moving parts creating friction in that design, and with the brittle nature of Bioceramic, I suspect it would be too risky.

There are other images being shared online which showcase the Royal Oak case on a silicone strap, which is certainly more believable. I must say, if that does end up being the design, I'll be queuing up straight away.

Of course, there's still a possibility that the new piece isn't a Royal Oak collaboration at all. If so, it could prove to be something of an anti-climax, given the hype surrounding the teasers.

Still, I'm inclined to believe there's something in all of this. Way back in 2022, we reported on comments made by then CEO of Audemars Piguet, François-Henry Bennahmias, who praised the collaboration which brought about the MoonSwatch. Given that the Royal Pop name was trademarked in 2024, it's possible that everything has been in the works since then.

We'll know more on May 16th.