The New and Bold Audemars Piguet x KAWS Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon Companion

Among Switzerland’s elite Haute Horlogerie brands, Audemars Piguet often stands out for doing things differently and exploring different territories. In particular, the brand is not shy to connect watchmaking to a broader culture as we have seen with recent collabs with Marvel (Spiderman, Black Panther) or with the cool Travis Scott x AP Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Openworked “Cactus Jack”… Speculations and rumours had been going around for a while as artist and designer KAWS had been spotted with an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak featuring one of his cartoon-like “companions” on its dial. Was this a unique piece or would we get an Audemars Piguet x KAWS collab? Well, it is now official, the newest Audemars Piguet collab is Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon “Companion” released in a limited edition of 250 pieces.

One of the most popular figures of contemporary art and design, Brian Donnelly, known as KAWS, started out as a graffiti artist in New Jersey, signing his tags with K, A, W and S, simply because he likes these letters. Pop art and culture permeate his singular universe, blurring the lines between product design and art. KAWS has achieved tremendous success through collaborations with diverse brands from high-end to more affordable with for instance Air Jordan, BAPE, Dior and Uniqlo, to name a few. A global celebrity, he has also built an image and presence on social media with no fewer than 4.4 million followers on Instagram at the time of writing this article.

For this collaboration, Audemars Piguet and KAWS have elected the edgiest of all Royal Oaks, the Concept. Since its creation in 2002, the Royal Oak Concept (ROC) has always been a platform of experimentation for Audemars Piguet, blending innovative technical solutions with avant-garde design. And it is the case here again.

The first thing to grab your eyes here is the “Companion” inside its 43mm case. With his face and hands pressed against the sapphire crystal, it creates an immediate connection with the outside world beyond its reach. And it singularly encapsulates the emotional sense of isolation characteristic of KAWS companions… Just below its skull head with X eyes a one-minute tourbillon further breathes life into the miniature 3D character that is mounted directly on the sunburst mainplate.

The Companion’s contrasting textures and shades are echoed by the finishes of the angular case. The crown is made of black ceramic and the slots of the screws on the bezel are cut in KAWS’ emblematic X shape. To ensure an unobstructed view of the familiar character, Audemars Piguet has developed a new movement that relegates the hours and minutes indication at its periphery, with two travelling superimposed triangular indices driven by visible gear wheels. These are crafted in titanium and in order to tell them apart the minute hand is openworked. The markers and hands feature luminescent material with blue emission for enhanced legibility in the dark.

This new hand-wound AP2979 Tourbillon calibre ticks at 3Hz and comes with a 72-hour power reserve. It is also visible via the sapphire case back with an original black-PVD “padded” finish inspired by KAWS’ universe and a ratchet wheel featuring 4 spokes to reproduce KAWS’ trademark X.

The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon Companion comes with a light grey calfskin strap embossed with a textile effect as well as a spare slate grey calfskin strap. The click-and-release interchangeable strap system introduced in the ROC in 2023 allows you to swap your strap in seconds without tools. The watch is secured to the wrist by a triple titanium folding buckle.

Such collaborations are always a bit of a surprise. If I am rather conservative when it comes to the watches I wear, I do like this Audemars Piguet x KAWS Royal Oak. And not just because it is “MONOCHROME” grey. The way KAWS’ singular universe has been translated into the ROC is certainly intriguing to me.

The watch will undoubtedly provoke some negative reactions or “anti-establishment” grumbling. Like it or not, these hype collabs are also an interesting way for Audemars Piguet – and watchmaking in general – to engage with a new clientele, in particular the younger generations. And that matters. On the wrist, the watch is surely an attention grabber. At 43mm, it is admittedly on the large side but it wears more comfortably than the dimensions suggest thanks to the use of lightweight titanium.

The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon Companion is released in a limited edition of 250 pieces. It retails for CHF 200,000 exc. taxes. For more information, please visit AudemarsPiguet.com.