From street art to haute horlogerie, KAWS’ companion in the Audemars Piguet ROC Tourbillon best swiss replica watches

Among the elite Swiss haute horlogerie brands, Audemars Piguet tends to stand out for being different and exploring different areas. In particular, the brand is not shy about linking watchmaking with the wider culture, as we have seen in recent collaborations with Marvel (Spider-Man, Black Panther), or the cool Travis Scott x AP Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Skeleton “Cactus Jack”… Speculations and rumors have been swirling for a while, as artist and designer KAWS was spotted wearing an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak watch with one of his cartoon “companions” printed on the dial. Is this a one-of-a-kind piece, or will we get an Audemars Piguet x KAWS collaboration? Now it’s official, the latest Audemars Piguet collaboration is the Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon “Companion”.

One of the most popular figures in the contemporary art and design world, Brian Donnelly, better known as KAWS, started out as a graffiti artist in New Jersey who signed his tags with K, A, W and S simply because he liked those letters. Pop art and culture permeated his unique world, blurring the lines between product design and art. KAWS has achieved great success by collaborating with a variety of brands, from high-end to more affordable ones, such as Air Jordan, BAPE, Dior and Uniqlo. As a global celebrity, he has also established a presence and influence on social media, with no fewer than 4.4 million followers on Instagram as of this writing. best luxury replica watches

For this collaboration, Audemars Piguet and KAWS have chosen one of the most avant-garde watches in the Royal Oak collection, the Concept Watch. Since its creation in 2002, the Royal Oak Concept Watch (ROC) has been Audemars Piguet’s experimental platform, blending innovative technological solutions with avant-garde design. This time, Audemars Piguet has once again demonstrated this concept.

The first thing that catches the eye is the “Companion” inside the 43mm case. His face and hands are pressed against the sapphire crystal, creating a direct connection with the outside world. It uniquely embodies the emotional loneliness that is characteristic of KAWS’ companion… Below the skull with X-shaped eyes, the one-minute tourbillon further breathes life into the miniature 3D character mounted directly on the sunburst mainplate.

The contrasting textures and tones of the Companion echo the angular case finish. The crown is made of black ceramic and the screw slots on the bezel are cut in KAWS’s signature X shape. To ensure that this familiar character can be seen unobstructed, Audemars Piguet developed a new movement that places the hour and minute indications on its periphery, with two moving superimposed triangular hands driven by visible gears. They are made of titanium and, to distinguish them, the minute hand is skeletonized. The indices and hands feature a blue luminescent material to improve readability in the dark. quality replica watches

This new manual-winding AP2979 tourbillon movement runs at 3Hz and has a 72-hour power reserve. Through the sapphire caseback, you can also see this movement, with its original black PVD “filled” finish inspired by the world of KAWS, and the ratchet with 4 spokes to reproduce KAWS’s iconic X.

The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon Companion watch comes with a light grey calfskin strap with a textile effect print, and a spare grey-blue calfskin strap. The click-release interchangeable strap system introduced by ROC in 2023 allows you to change the strap in seconds without tools. The watch is secured to the wrist with a triple titanium folding clasp.

Collaborations like this are always a bit of a surprise. If I am a bit conservative when it comes to wearing watches, I do like this Audemars Piguet x KAWS Royal Oak. And not just because it is “monochromatic” grey. The way KAWS’s strange universe has been translated into ROC is really interesting to me.

This watch will undoubtedly cause some negative reactions or “anti-establishment” complaints. Like it or not, these hype collaborations are also an interesting way for Audemars Piguet (and the watchmaking industry in general) to attract new customers, especially the younger generation. That’s important. On the wrist, this watch is sure to catch the eye. At 43mm, it’s admittedly on the large side, but thanks to the use of lightweight titanium, it’s more comfortable to wear than the size would suggest.

Technical specifications – Audemars Piguet x KAWS – Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon “Companion”
Case: 43 mm diameter x 17.4 mm thickness – Case in grade 5 titanium, sandblasted, polished and micro-blasted – Black ceramic crown – Sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating – Sapphire caseback – Water-resistant to 100 meters
Dial: Openworked structure, 3D miniature titanium KWAS companion character Peripheral titanium hands and hour markers with luminescent material that glows blue in the dark
Movement: Caliber AP2979, in-house – Manual winding – 39 jewels – 332 parts – 32.25 mm x 10.4 mm – 21,600 vibrations per hour – 72 hours power reserve – Peripheral hours, minutes, one-minute tourbillon
Strap: Light grey calfskin strap with textile effect – Interchangeable system and AP Three-piece folding clasp – Additional dark grey calfskin leather strap with textile effect
Reference: 26656TI.GG.D019VE.01