Buzz Surrounds Queues for AP x Swatch Watches: What Makes Them So Special?

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - The launch of the latest pocket watch collection resulting from the collaboration between Audemars Piguet and Swatch has sparked excitement around the world, including in Indonesia, on Saturday (16/05/2026). Many horology enthusiasts were willing to queue from early morning in front of Swatch stores located in the Grand Indonesia mall, Central Jakarta, and Pacific Place, South Jakarta, to get the series titled Royal Pop Collection. In various videos on social media, it is clearly recorded how high the enthusiasm of buyers is. The queues of visitors snaked, even before the mall opened. Due to the large crowds, local security officers reportedly had to intervene to organize the growing crowd. Swatch also issued a written statement regarding the situation. “To ensure the safety of our customers and staff in Swatch stores, we ask that you do not rush to our stores in large numbers to get this product,” they wrote in a post on their Instagram account, early Sunday (17/05/2026). The main attraction of the Royal Pop Collection lies in the combination of avant-garde design that breaks into the traditional horology market, according to Swatch’s official website. This collection brings iconic design elements from Audemars Piguet’s legendary series, namely Royal Oak, and brilliantly combines it with the clever modularity of Swatch’s colorful POP line which is typical of the 1980s. The unique combination of two-thirds zirconium oxide ceramic powder, which is commonly used in the field of luxury watchmaking, with one-third bio-based material derived from castor oil, produces a case structure that is strong, lightweight, and very comfortable in adapting to the user’s body temperature. The use of this material guarantees flexibility as well as product durability. Most notably, each watch is powered by the latest hand-wound version of the mainstay SISTEM51 engine, designed with a touch of Pop Art energy. As an added value, this machine stores up to 90 hours of power reserve and is supported by a Nivachron™ balance spring which effectively counteracts the influence of magnetic fields, as well as being resistant to impacts in daily use.