Audemars Piguet’s Swatch Collaboration Sparks Speculation Amid Royal Oak Trademark Defeats in US and Japan

The recent announcement of a collaboration between luxury Swiss watchmaker Audemars Piguet (AP) and Swatch has ignited considerable discussion among horology enthusiasts and industry watchers. Central to the conversation is a theory circulating on social media that links the partnership to AP’s recent trademark litigation defeats concerning its iconic Royal Oak watch design in both the United States and Japan.

According to this theory, AP’s unsuccessful attempts to trademark key design elements of the Royal Oak have effectively allowed a surge of lower-cost knockoffs to enter the market. These imitations replicate the Royal Oak’s signature octagonal bezel and tapisserie dial pattern but are priced far below AP’s typical five- and six-figure retail range. To combat this influx, the theory posits, AP is collaborating with Swatch to produce an officially sanctioned, more affordable Royal Oak-inspired watch, thereby preempting counterfeiters and capturing the accessible luxury segment.

While the narrative offers a compelling blend of corporate strategy and intellectual property intrigue, neither Audemars Piguet nor Swatch has publicly disclosed the motivations behind their collaboration. It remains uncertain whether the product will indeed be a watch, let alone one styled after the Royal Oak. However, clues from social media posts hint that the joint release may be named “Royal Pop,” suggesting a fusion of AP’s Royal Oak and Swatch’s Pop Swatch line, the latter known for its detachable dial feature.

The factual basis for the theory’s initial premise is clear: AP has faced significant legal setbacks in trademarking the Royal Oak’s design features. In Japan, AP filed a trademark application in February 2020 with the Japan Patent Office (JPO), seeking protection for the Royal Oak’s distinctive elements, including its tapisserie dial, octagonal bezel with eight hexagonal screws, case, crown, and lugs.

After extensive review, the JPO rejected the application in July 2021, concluding that the Royal Oak’s design was not sufficiently distinctive to identify the watch as originating from AP. The office noted that the shape was commonly associated with wristwatches generally and had not achieved national recognition in Japan as uniquely linked to AP. AP appealed, but in June 2023, the JPO upheld its decision, citing numerous examples of other watches featuring octagonal bezels and grid-patterned dials.

Undeterred, AP escalated the matter to the Japanese Intellectual Property High Court, which ruled against the company in March 2024. The court reasoned that average consumers identify watches primarily through brand names or advertising rather than by shape alone.

A parallel legal trajectory unfolded in the United States. In July 2020, AP sought to register trademarks for two watch designs embodying Royal Oak hallmarks such as the octagonal bezel, eight screws, and Grande Tapisserie dial pattern. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued a final refusal in January 2024, determining that these design features were nondistinctive and commonplace within the watch industry.

AP appealed to the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB), but in January 2025, the board affirmed the refusal, effectively denying AP trademark protection for the Royal Oak’s design elements in the U.S.

These rulings mean that other watchmakers may legally produce timepieces with design elements similar to the Royal Oak without infringing AP’s trademark rights. However, directly linking these legal outcomes to the AP-Swatch collaboration remains speculative. Neither company has confirmed that the partnership is a strategic response to the trademark losses or that the product will mimic the Royal Oak design.

Complex reached out to both Audemars Piguet and Swatch for comment on the theory. An AP representative stated that Swatch is managing all communications related to the collaboration. Swatch has yet to respond.

In summary, while the trademark defeats in Japan and the U.S. are factual and significant, the suggestion that AP’s collaboration with Swatch is a deliberate tactic to counteract knockoffs by releasing an affordable Royal Oak-style watch remains unconfirmed. The forthcoming “Royal Pop” product may well reflect some Royal Oak design cues, but the full strategic intent behind the partnership is still unknown.