With its cooperation, Audemars Piguet never holds back. They collaborated with Jay-Z on a breakthrough Royal Oak in the 2000s and LeBron James on a distinctive watch a decade later. AP has now become more creative, partnering with Marvel to manufacture high-end timepieces featuring Black Panther and Spider-Man and letting Matthew Williams minimalistize Alyx’s iconic designs. The company is expanding its pop culture appeal by teaming with GQ Man of the Year Travis Scott.
Scott has worn some of AP’s most daring Royal Oaks. Now he’s created an absurd watch variant. Scott calls the new Royal Oak “Cactus Jack” Edition “The Chocolate AP” because it has everything. Like Scott exclaimed, “One of each, please,” after scanning AP’s capability buffet. His RO contains a beautiful moon phase indicator and a perpetual calendar that precisely tracks the day, date, and month until 2100. As expected, the watch is openworked so the wearer can examine the inside machinery. The watch is brown ceramic, complementing its “Chocolate AP” name. It’s a cool way for AP to continue its ceramic travels. $201,000 buys the watch.
The new RO references Scott’s Cactus Jack brand frequently. Scott’s handwriting inspired the date indicators’ typography. Subidal hands resemble Cactus Jack logos. The moonphase indicator, with Cactus Jack’s sewn-up smiley face logo replacing the Earth, is the nicest touch. Each detail is considered: the pink gold clasp is signed Audemars Piguet and Travis Scott. The caseback reads “Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar,” “Limited Edition of 200 Pieces,” and “Utopia is a state of mind.” Scott’s latest CD is Utopia.
Scott was thrilled as usual for the release. “Watchmaking, to me, is the ultimate combo of engineering, fashion, tech and design—a harmony of precision, craftsmanship and perfect timing,” he stated in a press release. “I approached this collaboration like sampling or starting a beat, drawing inspiration from classics and adding innovation to push them forward. I am thrilled with the Royal Oak’s first results. It’s even more big because it’s my brother Francois’ last project as AP CEO—we’re sending him out with a mega-fucking epic mic drop. He posted on Instagram that he’s “never been more excited” about the four-year endeavor.
This release makes me feel like Bob Barker—there’s more! The watch is expensive, but Scott and AP are also dropping merch. With Scott, the watchmaker created sweatshirts, T-shirts, coats, pajamas, shorts, and hats. Scott’s web shop will release the collection on Friday, December 1 at 10 a.m. PT. Scott will give part of each transaction to a charity.
Making a luxury watch with Scott is one way to break into mass culture, but the merch collection feels like a clever move. As watches become a pop cultural obsession, AP is expanding ways to get engaged. It’s true that not everyone can afford this watch, and even if they can, not everyone can buy this limited-edition piece. Hats and hoodies broaden the project’s reach.
Watch traditionalists will likely slam AP for this collaboration. It happened when the brand worked with Jay-Z and LeBron. (See the off-topic comments below this story!) By collaborating with pop culture’s biggest stars—particularly hip-hop stars—AP has created one of the world’s most popular timepieces. The Travis Scott partnership ensures the Royal Oak’s longevity.