Audemars Piguet is never afraid to push the envelope with its collaborations. Back in the 2000s, the brand linked with Jay-Z on a groundbreaking Royal Oak; a decade later, they tapped LeBron James to make his own signature watch. The team at AP has only gotten more inventive from there: roping in Marvel to make high-end watches starring Black Panther and Spider-Man; allowing Alyx designer Matthew Williams to give its iconic designs a minimalist makeover. Now, the brand is continuing to grow its pop cultural cachet by collaborating with GQ Man of the Year Travis Scott.
Scott has long sported some of AP’s most audacious Royal Oaks on his wrist. Now, he’s concocted his own outrageous take on the watch. The new Royal Oak “Cactus Jack” Edition—nicknamed simply “The Chocolate AP” by Scott—comes packaged with every bell and whistle imaginable. It’s like Scott took a scan of AP’s buffet of capabilities and said, “One of each, please.” His RO comes equipped with a perpetual calendar—which accurately tracks the day, date, and month without needing to be set again until the year 2100—and a very pretty moon phase indicator. Naturally, the watch is openworked so the wearer can see all the machinery whirring away inside. Befitting its “Chocolate AP” nickname, the watch is crafted from brown ceramic—a very cool way for AP to continue its adventures in ceramic. The watch will retail for $201,000.
The new RO also comes with plenty of references to Scott’s Cactus Jack brand. The typography on the date indicators are based on Scott’s own handwriting. One of the subidal hands comes in the shape of the Cactus Jack logo. The best touch is on the moonphase indicator, where Cactus Jack’s sewn-up smiley face logo takes the place of the Earth. All the small details are considered: the clasp, naturally made of pink gold, is signed with the names of both Audemars Piguet and Travis Scott. The caseback is engraved with the phrases “Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar,” “Limited Edition of 200 Pieces,” and “Utopia is a state of mind.” (Scott’s most recent album is titled Utopia.)
Scott was his typically hyped self 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 said in a press release. “I approached this collaboration similar to sampling or starting a beat, taking inspiration from classics while introducing innovation to push them into the future. I'm beyond amped about the results, a first ever for the iconic Royal Oak. For it to be my brother Francois' final project as CEO of AP makes it even more epic—we are sending him out with a Mega fucking epic mic drop ... LETTTSSSSS GOOOOOO.” On Instagram, he added that the project has been four years in the making and he’s “never been more excited.”
This release makes me feel like Bob Barker, because that’s not all! In addition to the exorbitantly-priced watch, Scott and AP are dropping something slightly more attainable: merch. The watchmaker and Scott collaborated on accompanying hoodies, T-shirts, jackets, pajamas, shorts, and hats. The collection is set to drop on Scott’s online shop at 10 a.m. PT on Friday, December 1. Proceeds from every sale will be donated to a charity of Scott’s choice.
Making a wildly expensive and luxe watch with Scott is one way to make inroads to mass culture, but it’s the merch collection that really feels like a potential stroke of genius here. As watches continue to grow as a pop culture fixation, AP is opening up more ways for people to get involved in the hobby. Let’s face it: not everyone can afford this kind of watch (and even then, not everyone who does have that kind of cash will be able to own this limited-edition piece). Hats and hoodies open up the project to a much broader audience.
Naturally, the watch traditionalists will probably filet AP for this collaboration. It’s exactly what happened when the brand worked with both Jay-Z and LeBron. (See the way off the mark comments below this story!) AP’s built one of the hottest watches in the world by partnering with the most influential people in pop culture—and hip-hop in particular. The Travis Scott collaboration helps to guarantee that the Royal Oak’s reign lasts even longer.
