The Audemars Piguet x Swatch Royal Pop already had the watch world talking after its May 16th release. Now jeweler Alex Moss has taken one and iced it out completely. The result is one of the more eye-catching custom watch pieces to surface this month.
The Royal Pop is a collection of eight Bioceramic pocket watches inspired by the Royal Oak octagonal silhouette. It is designed to be worn around the neck on a lanyard rather than on the wrist. That pocket watch format makes it a natural canvas for a jeweler. The case sits flat and visible when worn as a pendant.
The Alex Moss version on display here keeps the pink case and blue dial intact. The jeweler then set the bezel with yellow diamonds running around the octagonal frame. Larger stones sit at the corners where the AP bolts typically appear. The combination of the original colorway and the diamond setting works cleanly together.
The Royal Pop marked the first time Audemars Piguet had ever licensed the Royal Oak design language outside of its own production. Overall that made the release historically significant beyond just the hype surrounding it.
Custom Iced Out AP x Swatch
Lines formed around city blocks outside Swatch boutiques globally on May 16. Security teams were called in at multiple locations. The crowd expected a wristwatch and got a pocket watch instead. That surprise did not slow demand at all.
The pink and blue colorway Alex Moss chose to work with is one of the more visually striking options from the 8-piece collection. Also the contrast between the hot pink case and the turquoise dial gives the jeweler's diamond setting a vivid backdrop to work against. Yellow diamonds against that color palette is a deliberate and effective choice.
Audemars Piguet committed 100% of its proceeds from the Royal Pop collaboration to a fund supporting the preservation of watchmaking skills and the next generation of talent. Further, that commitment adds a layer of substance to a release that was already generating significant attention on its own terms.
