Introducing The Audemars Piguet x KAWS Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon “Companion”

If you think about it, a partnership between two juggernauts – of horology and popular culture – makes perfect sense. Yet still, when the news about Audemars Piguet collaborating with contemporary artist KAWS, was a surprise – the best kind. 

 

Even if you have never heard of KAWS, you’re likely to have seen his work – the whimsical humanoid character with crossed-out eyes, COMPANION, which appeared in numerous iterations at numerous exhibitions, and, sometimes, as temporary large-scale installations on the lawns beneath Marina Bay Sands in Singapore or floating down Hong Kong harbor, for example.

 

The fruit of this veritable creative feat is the new 43mm Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon “Companion.” Limited to 250 pieces, it incorporates the artist’s aesthetic and pays homage to his early “ad intervention” works. KAWS COMPANION appears beneath the watch’s sapphire crystal, and the character’s face and hands seem to touch the inner surface of the glass. 

Case and Dial

The sculpture of this mascot is done in two shades of gray, made from titanium, and mounted upon a dial plate made – you guessed it – out of titanium, too. The plate itself is quite special, too – its alternating satin brushes offer a sense of depth. The Xs on the eyes of the COMPANION are filled with a thin layer of gray lacquer to make them instantly recognizable without distracting from the view of the watch as a whole. 

Integrating a literal artwork into a watch always brings up the legibility issue. But, as always, Audemars Piguet welcomes a challenge with open arms. For this collaboration, the manufacture decides to “push the time aside” and place the hands on the periphery of the movement and dial. This was possible thanks to the two visible superimposed gear wheels driven by pinions and guided by rollers. The hour and minute hands, fixed to the peripheral wheel, are also filled with a luminescent material, while the latter is openworked to make time even more readable. 

 

Now, on to the case. Audemars Piguet is known for seamlessly combining multiple finishes to achieve unprecedented visual harmony. The KAWS Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon is no exception. Its case adopts alternating sandblasting, satin-brushing, and polishing finishes in gray. Another thoughtful detail, which also embodies KAWS’s twisted-humorous sensibilities is the Xs subtly marked on the octagonal screws that secure the bezel and caseback. 

This menagerie of gray also bleeds onto the calfskin leather strap, which can be easily interchanged thanks to the triple-blade folding clasp. 

Movement

The new Calibre 2979 gives pride of place to the tourbillon, located at 6 o’clock. The movement shines in all its glory through the sapphire crystal caseback. Its black PVD titanium bridges evoke KAWS artistic styles with its padded construction, while the ratchet wheel, which arms the barrel arbor when the watch is wound, is crossed out to reproduce KAWS’s enduring symbol. 

 

Audemars Piguet x KAWS Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon “Companion” 43mm

Ref. 26656TI.GG.D019VE.01

Case: Sandblasted titanium case with titanium chip, double glareproof sapphire crystal, sapphire caseback; thickness: 17.4mm

Dial: Sunburst titanium dial plate with miniature titanium KAWS’ COMPANION in shades of gray, sandblasted light gray titanium inner bezel, peripheral titanium hands, and hour markers with luminescent material glowing blue in the dark

Movement: hand-wound Calibre 2979; diameter: 32.3mm, thickness: 10.4mm, 39 jewels

Functions: Tourbillon, peripheral hours and minutes

Power reserve: 72h

Strap: interchangeable light gray calfskin leather strap with textile effect, titanium triple-blade AP folding clasp. Second interchangeable slate gray calfskin leather strap with textile effect