Swatch x AP compared to Labubu

A YouTube creator posted a video on May 15 titled “Why The Swatch x AP Royal Pop Is The New Labubu,” drawing a direct line between Swatch and Audemars Piguet’s new Royal Pop release and the hype cycle around Pop Mart’s Labubu collectibles. The comparison landed two days after Audemars Piguet and Swatch formally unveiled the Royal Pop collection on May 13 and one day before sales began in selected Swatch stores on May 16. Swatch says the release consists of eight Bioceramic pocket-watch models, sold only through selected stores and capped at one watch per person, per day, per store. ### Why are people comparing a Swiss watch launch to Labubu? The May 15 YouTube video frames the Royal Pop as operating on the same consumer mechanics that pushed Labubu into a global craze: scarcity, instant recognizability, unboxing appeal, story-building and resale potential. The platform listing for the video says, “How does a $500K watchmaker suddenly sell a watch for $400?” and presents the comparison as more than a product review. (youtube.com) Pop Mart’s Labubu became a useful shorthand for that model in 2025. CNBC reported in September that rare Labubu editions had reached resale markups of more than 2,000% above retail, citing Nomura, before prices later fell as supply increased. Pop Mart told CNBC that accessibility mattered more than profit-driven flipping, while researcher Ashley Dudarenok said the secondary market had significantly boosted the toy’s popularity. (youtube.com) ### What exactly is the Royal Pop? Audemars Piguet and Swatch said on May 13 that Royal Pop reworks the Royal Oak into a pocket-watch format inspired by Swatch’s 1980s POP line. The companies described the collection as eight models designed to be worn in multiple ways rather than as a standard wristwatch release. Swatch says the watches use Bioceramic cases and a hand-wound version of its SISTEM51 movement. (cnbc.com) The product page says buyers can choose among eight models and that accessories are sold online, while the watches themselves are sold only in selected Swatch stores. ### Where does the “bag charm” angle come from? Watch coverage around the launch quickly connected the product to accessories culture. (audemarspiguet.com) WatchTime described the Royal Pop on May 13 as “the new It-Object for Your Bag,” explicitly linking it to the way Labubu plush figures are carried on handbags and backpacks. Another report, from Gizguide, said the watch could be “hang[ed] in your bag like a Labubu.” (swatch.com) Swatch’s own product language supports that reading. The company says the watch “adapts effortlessly to your style” and ships with three lanyard lengths, adding that it can be worn or displayed in different ways. That merchandising pitch makes the object legible as both timepiece and accessory. ### How much of this is about scarcity? Swatch says Royal Pop has a hard retail constraint at launch: one watch per person, per day, per store. (watchtime.com) The company also says the collection is available only through selected stores worldwide, not general online purchase. Those are the kind of release mechanics that often feed queues, social posts and resale attention. Financial Express reported on May 17 that the launch triggered crowding and store disruptions in several cities, though Reuters could not independently verify each incident described there. (swatch.com) The official sales restrictions themselves are confirmed on Swatch’s site. ### Why would Audemars Piguet do a $400 watch? Swatch’s site says the collection starts from a mass-premium price point tied to Bioceramic construction and a hand-wound SISTEM51 movement, while the YouTube video foregrounds the contrast with Audemars Piguet’s usual ultra-luxury positioning. Audemars Piguet Chief Executive Ilaria Resta said the collaboration was meant to invite “a broader audience including the younger generations to experience mechanical watchmaking differently.” (financialexpress.com) Audemars Piguet also said it would use 100% of its proceeds from the collaboration to support an initiative focused on preserving watchmaking skills and training the next generation of horological talent. That gives the launch a stated institutional purpose alongside the commercial release. ### What happens next? As of May 17, Swatch’s official product page still lists the Bioceramic Royal Pop collection as available from May 16 at selected stores worldwide, with accessories sold online. (youtube.com) The May 15 comparison video remains live on YouTube, where the Labubu framing is likely to keep circulating as long as the Royal Pop release stays in stores and on resale channels. (swatch.com) (audemarspiguet.com)