937 articles · 10 videos found · page 1 of 32
Vallée de Joux village that has been Audemars Piguet HQ since 1875; also home to APRP movement development.
Wristshot gallery from the Horlogeforum Audemars Piguet thread.
Why Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, and Vacheron Constantin sit alone at the top of the hierarchy. A buyer's guide to the most-cited label in collecting.
Gérald Genta's overnight 1971 sketch that invented the luxury steel sports watch.
WristBuzz
Swatch's plastic Royal Oak needs an actual strap the moment you get it home. Four makers doing colour-matched integrated-lug Royal Pop straps in leather, rubber, canvas and everything else.
Hodinkee
Former Audemars Piguet Chief Executive François-Henri Bennahmias unveiled details of a new watch brand called N3W5 that will launch in late 2027 and draw on some significant names from the Swiss industry for the design, production, and craftsmanship. Called 'N3W5' - an acronym for 'North, East, West, South' and pronounced 'NEWS,' the new marque will launch at Dubai Watch Week next year, the Honourable Merchants Group, the Bennahmias-led luxury brand constellation, said in a statement. Watch prices for the first models will start at about CHF 20,000, and production will commence at 'several thousand pieces' in the first year. A second collection will debut in 2028, according to the company's plans. François-Henri Bennahmias at an event in Crissier, Switzerland, introducing The Honourable Merchants Group. The news of N3W5 comes as pressure and speculation have mounted as to what Bennahmias, who led AP for more than a decade and oversaw a period of spectacular sales growth to more than CHF 2.3 billion for the family-owned brand, would do next in the watch world. At a flashy event near Lausanne last year, Bennahmias unveiled his vision for THMG, a new, multi-brand luxury brand group backed by private investors that promised a new philosophy of work, innovation, products, and sustainability in the luxury space. The charismatic executive said the new group would not be driven solely by profit and that at THMG, "we want to change the world of business. It is a mission," Be...
Monochrome
François-Henri Bennahmias, the charismatic former Audemars Piguet CEO who grew the manufacture’s annual sales from CHF 500 million to CHF 2 billion announces his first watch project. Following his departure from the brand, Bennahmias unveiled The Honorable Merchant, a venture conceived as a platform for carefully curated luxury products and collaborations, spanning multiple product categories, […]
Hodinkee
What We Know If you haven't heard of the brand Split before, you're likely not alone. The brand has not previously been distributed in the U.S., but it came to my attention when their chronograph, called "In The Skies," launched with a fully luminous case made from a proprietary ceramic-and-polymer fusion called Ceramod+. At $2,053, it was an interesting and fun novelty, and cheaper than the IWC Ceralume Perpetual Calendar (though a vastly different proposition, to be fair). Now that material, sans lumen, is coming to the United States with a new, relatively affordable GMT. But the watches are only a small part of the story for Split. The brand was co-founded by Edward Margulies, the third generation of a prominent family of UK-based Swiss watch distributors. His father, Marcus Margulies, might be known to some as the collector behind one of the most impressive collections of Audemars Piguet watches in history, which formed the basis for much of the AP museum. Edward moved to Switzerland at the age of 19 to train to follow in his footsteps. While the press release talks about how he spent his life putting on a smile to hide a frown caused by burying trauma for years, his interview in the New York Times reveals something deeper. The reality is that, after decades of struggling with his mental health and taking traditional paths of therapy and antidepressants, his physical health had deteriorated, and he was prescribed fentanyl. "Next thing I know," he said to the New York...
Worn & Wound
I don’t really have a ton of evidence to support this, but I have a vague sense that clocks are maybe about to have a moment. There seem to be some signs. There’s the Audemars Piguet x Swatch collaboration, which, for all the ink spilled about the disaster of a rollout, has the potential (still!) to be a big pop culture moment this year, and I have a feeling many future owners of the Royal Pop will use it as a desk clock in some fashion. There was the recent launch of a new Horological Machine from MB&F; which is, basically, a big robot clock. Earlier this year, a real highlight of the Louis Vuitton slate was a clock made in partnership with L’Epée (also a collaborator on the MB&F;). It just seems like an unusual amount of clock activity, coupled with a similarly unusual amount of interest in said clocks. That leads me to one of the more unexpected and interesting things I’ve seen from Timex in a bit, the new Waterbury America 250 Table Clock. Part of a series of releases commemorating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the clock draws on classic pocket watch design language and is a pretty attractive hunk of stainless steel that I think would look good on many a desk, whether it belongs to a watch lover or not. The clock case is a mix of brushed and polished steel, with star accents along the caseband and a guilloche engraving with a gold tone emblem on the retractable lid. A button on the side of the case releases the lid ...
Video
Ohhh buddy - here it is: A complete unboxing of one of the Royal Pops - the otto rosso.
Fratello
The Audemars Piguet × Swatch Royal Pop watch resulted in long queues at Swatch boutiques worldwide. We witnessed the chaos and mayhem at several of them on May 16th. Police had to enforce order, stores had to close, mall owners were angry, and managers of nearby shops were pissed because they couldn’t open or had […] Visit The Swatch Collaboration Effect — Here’s What Happened (This Time) to read the full article.
Fratello
One thing is for sure: the members of the Audemars Piguet design team don’t suffer from chromophobia, the intense, irrational fear of or aversion to colors. You will find plenty of proof of that in the current lineup. The three Royal Oak Offshores with Royal Pop-style sprinkles that AP serves are an addition to the […] Visit Audemars Piguet Serves Royal Oak Offshores With Royal Pop-Style Sprinkles to read the full article.
Time+Tide
Don’t say I didn’t warn you! Only a month ago in this very column, we had just about got over the new release season, but I alerted you all to the fact that we were far from done. Technically, we’re halfway through 2026 now, and it feels like every week there’s been at least one … Continued
Monochrome
Timing, as they say, is everything. Hot on the heels of Audemars Piguet and Swatch’s Royal Pop pocket watch, the most hyped release of the century, teased with cryptic ads, countdowns and endless speculation, Ochs und Junior arrives with a timely proposal of a pendant/pocket watch. Not everybody has the nerve to follow a headline-grabbing […]
Hodinkee
What We Know Big, bold, and unapologetically brash, the Royal Oak Offshore has never been the watch for everyone. But with three fresh colorways for 42mm chronographs in steel and titanium, and a triumvirate of brand-new 37mm models in titanium and pink gold, the vaunted watchmaker from Le Brassus is giving us a few more reasons to consider its dedicated diver. There are three new 42mm models in three new color combinations, all featuring luminescent white 'bathtub' style hands, Arabic numeral hour markers in 18 carat gold, a flyback chronograph with hour, minute, and second counters, and a tachymeter scale rehaut inner bezel and date window at 3 o'clock. First up, the only new titanium model at this size, it features a dark grey méga tapisserie dial with dark grey and silver-toned counters with yellow and turquoise accents. The Arabic numeral hour markers are turquoise while the yellow chronograph hand matches the counter hands at 9 and 12 o'clock with a white seconds hand at 6 o'clock. Sections of the tachymeter scale are printed in yellow and white, while the AP logo in white sits just left of the date window. The silver hour and minute chronograph counters are accented in turquoise and grey. The case is 15.3mm thick and features a sapphire open caseback, a black-rubber and titanium screw-down crown with contrasting yellow and black rubber push pieces, and boasts water resistance of 100 meters. The new titanium Offshore chronograph comes on an interchangeable dark ...
Video
Monochrome
More than three decades after its debut in 1993, the Offshore remains arguably the version of the iconic Royal Oak best suited to an active summer lifestyle. Nicknamed “The Beast” when it was launched, the Royal Oak Offshore challenged the conventions of luxury watchmaking with its oversized proportions, visible rubber elements and bold, muscular design… […]
Fratello
Welcome to another Sunday Morning Showdown! This week, we pit two Bioceramic hype monsters against each other. Daan defends the original Omega × Swatch Speedmaster MoonSwatch. Thomas counters with the recent Audemars Piguet × Swatch Royal Pop. Which collaborative Swatch model did it better? Let’s see! The Royal Pop retails for €385 or €400, depending […] Visit Sunday Morning Showdown: Audemars Piguet × Swatch Royal Pop Vs. Omega × Swatch Speedmaster MoonSwatch to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
While some brands regularly take the collaborative approach, this hasn’t been the case for Dennison. Its first co-designed model came to us just about a year ago when the Maison first teamed up with Collectability, the brainchild of Patek Philippe expert and horological icon John Reardon. The pair’s initial offering achieved an impressive balance of design language. It combined some clear inspiration from Patek’s Ellipse as well as some of the brand’s lesser-known models with elements of the collection that revived Dennison in the modern era – the A.L.D. – developed by acclaimed watch designer Emmanuel Gueit, whose resume includes the Rolex 1908, Harry Winston Z1, and Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore. The duo has just spun up its second collaboration, available for pre-order for one week only, beginning today through June 3. If you didn’t immediately click over to place an order, and you’re still with me, let’s unpack these latest additions. The new Oblique collection certainly has echoes of the original co-design but with a little bit more edge. The pair’s inaugural offering was relatively classic and timeless whereas the latest interpretations are a bit more modern and sculptural. This time, Dennison and Collectability give us two variations: the bold Enigma dial and the more sober Vector dial. In both iterations, the brands lean further into the funky design language that began emerging in the 1960s with asymmetry being a focus. Here, the familiar ...
Hodinkee
Yoni Ben-Yehuda is a longtime pillar of the New York City watch collector scene, an original member of the Red Bar crew, and someone who earned his credibility the old-fashioned way: through genuine passion and years spent learning about and actively supporting watch enthusiasm. That foundation matters because it explains the trust he's built since, and quietly, almost invisibly, he has become the hand behind some of the most high-profile watch collections in the world. You've seen those wrists on Instagram and red carpets, and now we're thrilled to feature the collection of the man behind the scenes. Today, as Head of Watches at Material Good — one of the most respected watch destinations in America — Yoni oversees sales across nine locations and a deep partnership with Audemars Piguet. But the role only makes sense when you understand where it comes from. His watch story starts in his teens with a gift from his mother that would foreshadow an impressive collection that is expressive, fun, and very specific. As Yoni himself puts it, "watches are these forever objects in a disposable world," and you can see the progression of his life, his passions, and his depth in the space represented by his watches. In the above video, Yoni and Ben highlight several special watches from Yoni's collection. Here is the list in chronological order of appearance. Alfred Hammel steel watch Audemars Piguet RA Ultra-Thin Self-Winding Tourbillon ref 25656 (on matching bracelet with...
Fratello
Fashion is a fickle and unpredictable muse, isn’t she? While some predict the demise of the analog watch under pressure from smartwatches, something as unexpected as the Audemars Piguet × Swatch Royal Pop could imaginably swing the pendulum the other way. Could it trigger a resurgence of ye olde pocket watch? And if so, are […] Visit In Case The Audemars Piguet × Swatch Royal Pop Inspired You, Here Are Some Modern Pocket Watches to read the full article.
Video
A defence of the Code 11.59, the AP collection most collectors love to dismiss, with a close look at the case architecture and movements.
SJX Watches
Two leading practitioners of fine watchmaking, Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet face off at Christie’s upcoming Hong Kong auction, Important Watches: Featuring “Kronos: Titans of Time”, “The Eternity” and “The Chronicle” Collections. The catalogue features blue chip high complications such as the Sky Moon Tourbillon, as well as under-appreciated neo-vintage discoveries, and the most striking of this selection doesn’t even chime. Lot 2424 – Patek Philippe Sky Moon Tourbillon Ref. 5002P-001 While Patek Philippe’s Sky Moon Tourbillon started as a supporting act to the Star Caliber 2000, miniaturising the latter’s planisphere with moon passage and phases, its mindshare has far surpassed its larger sibling. It was Patek Philippe’s most complicated wristwatch when first launched, and the super-watch of the 2000s. Collectors entering the watch world during that time speak of it with the same nostalgia and reverence 2000s kids give to the Bugatti Veyron. The design was rather contemporary for early 2000s Patek Philippe, and looks nothing like its successor, the baroque ref. 6002. At 42 mm in diameter, it was also notably large — the ref. 5016 with which shares most of its movement, was only 36 mm in diameter. It was forward thinking in another way, selling an extremely expensive, astronomical complication as an off-the-rack product, continuing Philippe Stern’s “build it and they will come” attitude that began with the Calibre 89. Patek Philippe’...
Worn & Wound
The hype started immediately. Just a little over a week ago, Audemars Piguet and Swatch began teasing the unthinkable: a collaboration. Well, not just a collab, it quickly became clear that this would be another bioceramic recreation, of sorts, of an iconic watch. Named “Royal Pop,” thus evoking the most Veblen of watches, the Royal Oak. Without even showing what the final product would be, collectors, enthusiasts, speculators, hype chasers, pop culture analysts, your awkward relative that texts you everything watch-related they stumble upon, knew this would be big. Not just big in terms of the watch industry, but big in terms of product launches on a global level. Think iPhone, but dumber. When Swatch launched the MoonSwatch back in 2022, there were similar initial reactions. Contempt, excitement, speculation. On the day of launch, I met up with Worn & Wound co-founder Blake Malin to head to a store to maybe pick one up. While on the train, we heard about the lines and decided to bail. Thanks to sites like StockX and eBay, the value of these watches skyrocketed before launch, drawing in a crowd of opportunistic resellers. No shade towards them, a living is a living, but the tone of the launch shifted. It wasn’t for us anymore. Eventually, social media outlets reported that some of the lines were getting rowdy. Not a good look. Despite the inane “boutique” launch model, eventually we got the watches, and, for a time, they were fun. Back to 2026 – despite knowin...
Hodinkee
Sales of the Royal Pop, the bioceramic pocket watch collaboration from Audemars Piguet and Swatch, resumed in some locations on Monday after the Saturday launch was marred by overwhelming crowds that forced store closures across Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and North America. Customers were seen buying the $400 watch in Geneva on Monday as the Swatch boutique resumed sales of the timepiece. Swatch boutique in Geneva on Saturday saw a heavy police presence to control crowds. Swatch closed at least 20 of its stores on Saturday as launch-day crowds and demand for the Royal Pop pocket watch overwhelmed security and staff. Stores in the U.A.E, India, the U.K., Europe, and at locations in the U.S. and Canada were closed on May 16, according to social media posts, after crowds seeking to buy the pocket watch collaboration surged, queues collapsed, and sporadic scenes of violence broke out. Police were on hand at dozens of locations to control crowds. The line at the Swatch boutique in Wales (photo: Matthew Horwood/Getty Images). The sign on the window of the Wales Swatch boutique following the temporary store closure (photo: Matthew Horwood/Getty Images). The Biel/Bienne-based company, in a statement, said Monday that "the response to the Royal Pop Collection has been phenomenal worldwide," and demand is extremely high. Swatch said that in "around 20 Swatch stores" out of a total of 220 stores globally where the Royal Pop was launched, "challenges arose on launch day because ...
Monochrome
There was no getting around the Swatch x Audemars Piguet Royal Pop these past week and a half or so, especially for us, as we were the first to show you what it actually looked like. And while it sparked a very strong debate, to say the least, the transformability of the Royal Pop did […]
Hodinkee
Earlier in the week, I got a chance to see the new Swatch x Audemars Piguet Royal Pop collaboration in person, the hottest (and most hotly debated) thing since, well, Swatch did their first collaboration with Omega. There were some restrictions, like the fact that I couldn't handle some of them without gloves, but I did get enough of an impression to have a lot of thoughts. Yes, I think they're a lot of fun, and actually pretty impressive in some ways. I get that a lot of people will disagree, and that's fine. But to answer the last part of our headline first: you can get the Swatch x AP Royal Pop watches only at select retail stores starting May 16. You can find those stores on the Swatch website by going to the homepage, looking for the collab, and clicking the "See Stores" link. One version (with a crown at the right) is $420, while the other (with a crown at the top) is $400. Also, this is not an AP-led product, so don't call your local AP AD hoping to get one. Swatch is in charge here. Love it or hate it, the Swatch x Audemars Piguet Royal Pop is big news. How big? A few hundred comments on our site is a good measure. But how about the fact that, in 24 hours, our "Introducing" story on the collab got about 20x an average story would do in a month and 1.75x more page views than the Rolex "Pepsi" GMT cancellation (which was the highest-traffic story of Watches & Wonders to date). We love watches over here, but it can be a bubble. There are a few rare moments when the wa...
Video
Welcome to the watch releases update for the second week of May 2026. We have some great watch models to cover such as the new Audemars Piguet x Swatch ‘Royal Pop’. As well as new releases from Seiko, Orient Star,...
Time+Tide
There’s nothing like a good Swatch release to turn the watch world upside down, and that’s exactly what we’ve seen this week. Fresh after our brilliant British Weekender in NYC, where watches were firmly on enthusiasts’ minds, Audemars Piguet and Swatch decided to bring watches into the forefront for everyone, announcing a new collaboration that everyone, … Continued
Revolution
Revolution
SJX Watches
Audemars Piguet (AP) and Swatch have teamed up to launch the Royal Pop, a series of lanyard-borne pocket swatches in eight pop art-inspired colourways set to hit stores on May 16th. It also debuts new manually wound Sistem 51 movements, including one with small seconds, to capture the pocket watch feel. This could be seen as AP having a little fun on a project set in motion by a Swatch-obsessed former CEO, or long-term thinking to cultivate the next generation of customers. Initial thoughts I imagine ambivalence will define the general reaction to the Royal Pop, as it should. A pop art-inspired pocket Swatch is a challenging product to casual watch buyers and enthusiasts alike. And I mean that as praise — it would have been much easier to go the MoonSwatch or Scuba Fifty Fathoms route, but much less interesting. Ref. SSX03L101N. Case in point, a non-enthusiast friend texted me over the weekend expressing interest in the Royal Pop under the common assumption that it would take after the MoonSwatch. In short, he was expecting a plastic Royal Oak. He was less enthusiastic — but not entirely put off — when I asked him how he’d feel about a manually wound pocket watch. Ref. SSX03R100N. While my favourite watches are overwhelmingly pocket watches (or pocket chronometers), I can’t see myself wearing one regularly, be it a Swatch Pop or a Nicole Nielsen tourbillon. I do, however, see myself attaching an Otg Roz Royal Pop to my keychain or workbag. Considering the recent ...
Time+Tide
The cat is out of the bag, and the Royal Pop is here, a new bioceramic pocket watch based on the iconic Pop watch, and the AP Royal Oak
Video
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