Guide · 4 min read
Swatch x Audemars Piguet Royal Pop: all about the cult pocket watch
Saturday morning, 16 May 2026: outside Swatch stores all over the world, people have been queuing since the night before. The reason is a watch you don't even wear on your wrist. Welcome to the Royal Pop, the wildest watch collaboration of the year.
At a glance
- The Royal Pop is a pocket watch by Swatch and Audemars Piguet, inspired by the legendary Royal Oak.
- There are 8 models, each named “eight” in a different language.
- Two styles: Lépine (crown at the top) and Savonnette (crown on the right, with small seconds).
- Mechanical hand-wound movement with around 90 hours of power reserve.
- At Bodinos, several models are available right away, no queuing required.
A luxury icon meets Pop Art
In 1972, Audemars Piguet launched the Royal Oak: a luxury watch made of steel with an octagonal bezel and eight visible screws. Back then a small revolution, today one of the most famous watches in the world.
Swatch, on the other hand, has stood for colourful, playful watches since the 1980s. The POP Swatch from that era could even be taken out of its strap and worn differently. Exactly these two ideas come together in the Royal Pop: the shape of the Royal Oak and the cheeky spirit of the Swatch POP.
8
screws sit on the Royal Oak's bezel. That's why there are exactly eight Royal Pop models, and each one has the word “eight” in its name.
Eight models, eight languages: can you spot them?
Blaue Acht, Green Eight, Huit Blanc, Otto Rosso, Ocho Negro, Orenji Hachi, Lan Ba and Otg Roz. Behind almost every name is “eight” in a different language:
- Acht in German, Eight in English, Huit in French
- Otto in Italian, Ocho in Spanish
- Hachi in Japanese, Ba in Chinese
And Otg Roz? The watch world is still puzzling over that one. Maybe that's exactly the point.
Lépine or Savonnette: what's the difference?
The terms come from the world of classic pocket watches. On the Royal Pop you can see the difference straight away:
| Feature | Lépine | Savonnette |
|---|---|---|
| Crown | at the top, at 12 o'clock | on the right, at 3 o'clock |
| Hands | hours and minutes | hours, minutes and small seconds at 6 o'clock |
| Models | Blaue Acht, Green Eight, Otto Rosso, Huit Blanc, Orenji Hachi, Ocho Negro | Lan Ba, Otg Roz |
Tip: If you like to see that your watch is running, go for a Savonnette. The small seconds hand keeps turning and shows you at a glance that everything is ticking.
What's inside?
- Case: Bioceramic, 40 mm in diameter and only 8.4 mm thin
- Movement: mechanical SISTEM51 with manual winding, around 90 hours of power reserve
- Hairspring: anti-magnetic Nivachron hairspring, developed together with Audemars Piguet
- Dial: with the typical Tapisserie pattern of the Royal Oak
How do you wear a pocket watch in 2026?
However you like. The Royal Pop hangs on a strap that you wear around your neck, hang on your bag or thread through your belt loop. That makes it a piece of jewellery, a bag charm or, quite classically, a watch for your trouser pocket.
Why is the Royal Pop so hard to get?
The Royal Pop was only sold in selected Swatch stores and only one per person per day. Demand was far greater than supply: outside some stores, people queued overnight, and some shops even had to close. So if you want a Royal Pop today, you can usually only get it from retailers or private sellers.
Note on private purchases: No right of withdrawal and usually no legal guarantee. Check photos, box and papers carefully. At Bodinos you get the watch new, with a 14-day right of withdrawal and the legal guarantee.
The Royal Pop at Bodinos
We have these models in stock. We ship worldwide from Germany:
Royal Pop Green EightView →
Royal Pop Blaue AchtView →
Royal Pop Otto RossoView →
Royal Pop Lan BaView →
Royal Pop Otg RozView →
Frequently asked questions
Is the Royal Pop a wristwatch?
No, it's a pocket watch. You wear it on a strap around your neck, on your bag or on your belt.
How do I wind the Royal Pop?
Using the crown: just turn it. Fully wound, it runs for around 90 hours, so almost four days.
What's the difference between Lépine and Savonnette?
On the Lépine the crown sits at the top at 12 o'clock, on the Savonnette on the right at 3 o'clock. The Savonnette also has small seconds at 6 o'clock.
How many Royal Pop models are there?
Eight, matching the eight screws on the Royal Oak bezel: six Lépine and two Savonnette models.
Where can I buy the Royal Pop?
In selected Swatch stores when stock is available, from retailers or from private sellers. At Bodinos, several models are available right away.
You can find more Swatch collaborations in our guide MoonSwatch & Swatch collaborations, and all watches in the Watches.