Being one of the most preeminent luxury watchmakers on the planet, Audemars Piguet certainly doesn’t always act like it, and we totally love them for it. While names like Rolex and IWC likely wouldn’t ever think of teaming up with street artists or comic book publishers, AP seems to understand and embrace its importance in modern-day pop culture.
The Swiss icon has now teamed up with New York-based artist and designer KAWS on a special-edition Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon based on the latter’s Companion character.
A Companion of Sorts
A sort of Mickey Mouse with exed-out eyes, KAWS’ Companion has been around since the ‘90s as the artist (real name Brian Donnelly) rose to prominence. His street-style pop art has been fairly ubiquitous so even if you’re not familiar with the name, chances are you’ve seen his work as he’s found a way to bring his graffiti-inspired art to the world of commerce in a fun way. His emblematic style has graced the fronts of t-shirts, shoes, and cereal boxes (I have a few of his Monster Cereal figures in my house), now making its way to the world of haute horology.
Audemars Piguet x KAWS Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon Basics
Tapping AP’s experimental Royal Oak platform, the Concept, KAWS has placed a 3D-version of his Companion figure underneath the sapphire crystal so that it looks like it’s trapped inside with his face and hands up against the glass. The watch seems less about telling the time than it does about hosting a unique fusion of art and design on your wrist.
Limited to just 250 pieces, the watch does feature a one-minute tourbillon at the bottom of the dial, under Companion’s skull head. The hands have been sequestered to the outside of the dial, moving along the perimeter. Both are made from titanium but the minute hand is skeletonized for distinction.
Moving on to the case, it’s 43mm in diameter, made from sandblasted grade 5 titanium, and features AP’s signature octagonal bezel, made from black ceramic here. Instead of the screws around the bezel, KAWS’ Xs have been used instead.
A KAWS flair can be viewed around the edges of the caseback as well. To tackle such a design-heavy dial, AP created a new manual movement, the AP2979 Tourbillon, so you can still see the Companion figure unobstructed. Visible through a sapphire window on the back, the caliber has 72 hours of power reserve. Lastly, the watch features a gray calfskin leather strap with a textile appearance.
Spec Sheet
Case Size: 43mm
Case Thickness: 17.4mm
Case Material: Grade 5 titanium
Water Resistance: 100m
Movement: In-house AP2979 Tourbillon manual
Band: Gray calfskin strap
Limited Edition?: Yes, 250
Pricing & Availability
Unsurprisingly, the KAWS-edition Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon Companion is quite lofty in price. Limited to 250 pieces, the watch is listed for CHF 200,000 (~$226,221) on AP’s website.
Recap
Audemars Piguet x KAWS Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon Companion
AP teams up with NY-based artist KAWS on this unique Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon featuring the latter’s Companion figure front-and-center on the dial, with a new movement in tow.
