the timing of Royal Pop is extremely interesting to me and i believe it is well planned out

this release was already in the making since 2023, when AP commented on Swatch’s IG post: when do we launch?

administrative, logistical, legal, etc. issues aside, definitely no coincidence that it comes at a time where consumers are spending more to regain semblance of control in their lives (look at popmart labubu pokémon tcg etc.)

youths have negative perception of the future:
if i can’t buy a house, i’ll buy what i want instead

luxury market is also facing the highest pressure as demand slumps globally, so the natural path forward is the compression of the luxury market (good for retail!)

what AP is doing w Royal Pop seems to be retapping into youths by making a piece of their brand affordable through collab, borrowing concepts from labubu craze, familiarity bias, and demand slumps of high end luxury items

it also works as a way of getting youths one foot in, where they might eventually turn into paying customers of AP

if Royal Pop is a blind box sale, i think it’s the perfect storm for retail

this concur w this article here as well: https://manofmany.com/watches/swatch-audemars-piguet-labubu-of-watches