Audemars Piguet X Kaws: Marketing Through Art and Innovation
Blending pop culture with haute horlogerie, AP attracts younger audiences and redefines luxury with bold collaborations.
Last week, Audemars Piguet unveiled the Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon "Companion", a remarkable collaboration with contemporary artist Kaws. This timepiece seamlessly blends haute horlogerie with pop art, incorporating Kaws’ iconic "Companion" character into its design.
Created in the late 1990s, Companion is a figure inspired by classic cartoon aesthetics, resembling a Disney-like mouse but with a skull-shaped head, X-shaped eyes, and a melancholic expression. Over the years, Companion has become a universal symbol of pop culture and contemporary art, appearing in various forms, from monumental sculptures to vinyl toys and collaborations with brands like Uniqlo and Nike. This cultural icon, encapsulating themes like alienation, nostalgia, and the intersection of consumerism and art, now finds its place in a luxury watch.
In the Royal Oak Concept, Companion dominates the dial, interacting playfully with the watch itself. The figure is designed to appear as if pressed against the sapphire crystal, trying to break free. Its chest houses the tourbillon, merging mechanical complexity with artistic expression.
To showcase Kaws’ artistry, Audemars Piguet innovated a unique peripheral time display, eliminating traditional hands. This is made possible by the Caliber 2979, a manual-winding movement with a 60-second tourbillon. The case, crafted from brushed and sandblasted titanium, echoes the neutral gray tones often seen in Kaws’ works.
Limited to 250 pieces and priced at CHF 200,000, this model is more than a watch—it’s a collector’s item that bridges the worlds of contemporary art and luxury.
The partnership with Kaws is the latest in a series of innovative collaborations by the Le Brassus-based maison. Over the years, Audemars Piguet has leveraged partnerships with artists, musicians, and pop culture icons as a strategy to remain at the forefront of the industry while attracting a younger, trend-conscious audience.
From Travis Scott to ALYX and Marvel, AP has created watches that challenge the conventions of haute horlogerie. These designs embrace bold aesthetics, references to street culture, and a more informal approach to luxury. For instance, the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar "Cactus Jack", developed with Travis Scott, featured the rapper’s handwriting on the dial and design elements tied to his brand. Similarly, the Black Panther and Spider-Man models in the Concept line proved that even superheroes could become the centerpiece of high-end timepieces.
These daring designs have sparked mixed reactions. Purists criticize the perceived departure from traditional elegance, while others praise AP’s ability to redefine luxury in a contemporary context. Despite the debates, the results speak for themselves: in 2022, Audemars Piguet became one of the top four watchmakers globally by revenue, surpassing €1 billion in annual sales.
Among top-tier watch brands, Audemars stands alone in adopting such a disruptive, youth-oriented marketing strategy. What sets this approach apart is the commitment to innovation, introducing fresh interpretations of what a luxury watch can represent. This not only engages a new generation but also ensures the art of watchmaking remains relevant for the future. The bold path opened by Audemars Piguet will most likely be followed by many other maisons in the future.
