Audemars Piguet x Kaws: Royal Oak Idea Tourbillon ‘Companion’

The Audemars Piguet x Kaws Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon ‘Companion’ is a collaboration between the Swiss luxurious watchmaker and modern artist Kaws, introducing a character-driven design to the Royal Oak Idea platform.

This 43 mm titanium watch showcases Kaws’ iconic “Companion” determine with its recognizable skull-shaped head, X-shaped eyes, and gloves seemingly urgent in opposition to the sapphire crystal. The determine is intricately crafted from brushed and sandblasted titanium, complementing the grey lacquer particulars and the open tourbillon cage seen by the dial.

Audemars Piguet’s modern peripheral time show replaces conventional palms, with lumed titanium markers set on gear wheels alongside the inside bezel. This design is powered by the hand-wound Calibre 2979 motion, that includes a 60-second tourbillon, 72-hour energy reserve, and black PVD-coated bridges. Kaws’ inventive affect extends to the motion, the place the ratchet wheel incorporates the artist’s signature X motif.

The watch’s titanium case, barely bigger than earlier Marvel collaborations, measures 43 mm in diameter and 17.4 mm in thickness, with contrasting brushed and polished finishes. A black ceramic crown and hexagonal screws with Kaws’ X element full the angular aesthetic. It’s waterproof to 100 meters and comes with two calfskin leather-based straps, each embossed with a textile sample.

Restricted to 250 items, the Royal Oak Idea Tourbillon ‘Companion’ retails for 200,000 CHF (~$225,560.52) and is obtainable solely by Audemars Piguet boutiques. The collaboration displays a seamless integration of Kaws’ pop-art sensibilities and AP’s modern watchmaking, providing collectors a wearable extension of Kaws’ inventive universe.

This launch additionally hints at future character-centric designs using the brand new peripheral show, marking a notable evolution in AP’s strategy to high-end inventive timepieces.

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