Best Royal Pop models ranked: these are the Swatch x Audemars Piguet collab watches I’d recommend

The Swatch x Audemars Piguet Royal Pop collection is one of the most unexpected watch collaborations in recent memory. Eight pocket watches, each built around a hand-wound SISTEM51 movement and dressed in Bioceramic. They take direct design cues from AP’s iconic Royal Oak, right down to the octagonal bezel and eight hexagonal screws.

The result is playful, bold, and genuinely difficult to rank (that’s why this list is essentially my personal preference).

Every model packs a tapisserie dial, sapphire crystal, anti-reflective coating, and a swappable calfskin lanyard. There are two styles, Savonnette, with the crown at 3 o’clock, and Lépine, with the crown at 12 o’clock.

Here’s how they stack up (in my personal, totally subjective, opinion).

1. Lan Ba

The Lan Ba is our pick for the best Royal Pop, and its case is hard to argue with. The bright blue colourway, with the dark blue dial and frame, paired with a light blue small seconds subdial and bezel, offers the perfect amount of contrast (whilst also being very cohesive). The light blue stitching on the calfskin lanyard ties everything together.

To me it’s one of the most visually satisfying of the collection. It also wears its crown at 3 o’clock, making a wristwatch conversion far more natural than most of its siblings. Basically, Lan Ba offers style and versatility in one package, making it a difficult combination to beat.

2. Huit Blanc

The Huit Blanc runs the Lan Ba close. This is actually the Royal Pop model I want to buy. The white dial and bezel are striking on their own, but it’s the multicoloured indices and screws that really make it stand out – a splash of colour that feels like the entire point of a Swatch x AP collaboration.

My one reservation is on the practical side – I’m worried white Bioceramic and white lanyard (with yellow stitching) might discolour over time. But honestly, it’s best to just wear it and accept that… or just treat it more like a display piece. Either way, it’s a genuinely fun watch.

3. Otto Rosso

Pink dial, cherry red bezel, and pink screws. I wasn’t sure about this colourway at first, but its grown into one of my favourites. The contrast between the softer pink case and the deeper red bezel gives the watch real depth, and the pink calfskin lanyard with red contrast stitching mirrors it perfectly.

It’s bold without being garish, and really stands out. If the Huit Blanc is the life of the party, the Otto Rosso is the one dressed impeccably for it (like Jessica Rabbit).

4. Otg Roz

The Otg Roz is boldest watch in the Royal Pop collection. The teal dial, yellow bezel, pink small seconds subdial and frame, and black screws is a combination that has absolutely no business working as well as it does.

It also shares the 3 o’clock crown with the Lan Ba, which is a genuine bonus. The colour combination, though, is slightly more divisive.

To me, it calls to mind a certain animated Springfield family (although I think they were going for Andy Warhol’s Marilyn Monroe, but I’m not that cultured). If that registers immediately for you too, it may be difficult to unsee. If it doesn’t, you’re getting a extremely unconventional, standout watch.

5. Blaue Acht

The Blaue Acht is really difficult to describe. Swatch calls it a lime green dial, light blue bezel, lime green screws, but I’d say it’s much more of a pastel-lime than a vivid Brat lime. There’s an almost retro-futuristic energy to it, like something designed to glow in the dark (even though it doesn’t). The green lanyard with light blue stitching carries the theme through perfectly.

The 12 o’clock crown puts it firmly in pocket watch territory and limits everyday versatility slightly, but as a bold, characterful colourful piece, it more than earns its place in the lineup.

6. Green Eight

I love the colour green, but for some reason, the Green Eight doesn’t really sing to me. Sure, it has a confidence in its all-green aesthetic. Credit where it’s due, it commits fully – the green dial, light green bezel, and lime green screws create a look that’s bold and immediately recognisable.

In isolation, it’s an interesting watch. In the context of this collection, though, it suffers a little from a lack of contrast. Where the other Royal Pop models use colour clash and tension to generate excitement, the Green Eight goes in the opposite direction. I will say, I liked it better in person more than the renders, but it doesn’t spark the same energy as its more adventurous siblings.

7. Orenji Hachi

Orange and navy is a classic pairing (recently used by Patek Philippe at Watches and Wonders) and the Orenji Hachi deploys it with confidence. The eight orange screws pop sharply against the dark navy case and bezel, and the orange-stitched lanyard keeps the accent colour. There’s punchky, and certainly the most sporty-looking pocket watch on this list.

The issue is that the navy is a little too dark and too uniform for me – next to the multicolours of the Huit Blanc and the Otg Roz, it can feel a little conservative.

8. Ocho Negro

The Ocho Negro is the Royal Pop for people who find the rest of the collection a little much, and there’s nothing wrong with that. The black dial and crown sit beneath a white bezel, with black screws and a black lanyard finished in white contrast stitching. It’s sharp, clean, and undeniably wearable.

I’m sure it will be the easiest to live with day to day and possibly the most sought-after on the secondary market. But in a collection that celebrates colour and playfulness, ranking it last feels fair. It’s a great watch. It’s just not really what this collaboration is for (in my opinion).

Like this? I camped in London for the Swatch x Audemars Piguet Royal Pop launch and it was absolute chaos (but also kind of fun)