zelin0802 / November 20, 2024

The Le Brassus-based brand teamed up with the American artist and designer to create a Royal Oak with a tourbillon that is also a high-concept piece of art for the wrist.

I believe there is a power of what-ifs that can determine the course of future events: fate.

In fact, just hours before I was assigned this assignment, I was discussing with a colleague how collectors never collect just one thing. Especially for younger enthusiasts, there is a lot of crossover between watchmaking and art appreciation. It was an interesting conversation; plus, I got a chance to show off my art collection, which includes various works by artist KAWS.

Then fate intervened.

Less than two minutes after I hung up the phone, I learned that Audemars Piguet would be launching a new 43mm limited edition Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon watch designed in collaboration with KAWS. It was also an interesting omen for the future of Audemars Piguet, art, and luxury watchmaking.

A Celebration of KAWS
Brian Donnelly, aka KAWS, is a New York-based artist whose artwork straddles the line between fine art and commerce, and is known for designing limited edition toys and apparel. For example, my own collection of Donnelly pieces includes items from Japanese retailer Uniqlo, which features KAWS collaborations with Sesame Street, Peanuts, and Andy Warhol.

Over the past few years, Audemars Piguet has also introduced radical new interpretations of the Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon, starting with the “Spider-Man” and “Black Panther” editions.

When it was first released, many collectors were horrified at the thought of a character watch costing $359,995. However, considering that Connelly’s paintings have fetched eight-figure sums at auction, I think the Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon x KAWS is a steal as a work of art.

Just as pop culture and reproduction became acceptable subjects in the fine art world, fueled by artists like Andy Warhol, Keith Haring, and Jean-Michel Basquiat, these themes naturally migrated to the realm of haute horlogerie. In this context, the KAWS x Audemars collaboration makes perfect sense.

Exit via Gift Shop
Collectors sometimes refer to such collaborations as “art merchandise.” But this fusion of art and commerce does have appeal in the art world. For example, this limited edition piece from Audemars features KAWS’s signature motif: a character with a Mickey Mouse body, a skull, and crossbones, titled COMPANION. fake watches for sale

The image is supposed to evoke life and death, truth and falsehood, the comical and the unsettling. So wearing the symbol on one’s wrist (rather than letting it hang on a gallery wall to contemplate) is about making the viewer see the world differently.

Originally just doodles, Donnelly’s cartoon characters have since redefined the collectible vinyl toy category. Since then, they have been elevated to works of art, such as inflatables in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, or as emblematic pieces of art in career retrospectives at major art museums such as the Brooklyn Museum in New York and the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto.

To highlight the cartoon character, Audemars Piguet has sidelined time with an innovative perimeter time display. Meanwhile, the 43mm sandblasted titanium case frames the dial.

Additionally, in a nod to KAWS’s early “advertising interventions”, a COMPANION sculpted from titanium peeks out from behind the watch’s sapphire crystal, while its chest reveals the watch’s tourbillon. ”

“Working with Audemars Piguet over the past two years and finally bringing this project to life has been an unforgettable experience,” Donnelly said in a press release. “I find the world of watchmaking fascinating and Audemars Piguet’s artisans truly excel in their craftsmanship. ” buy replicas watch

Memorial
Lucas Raggi, Audemars Piguet’s director of research and development, said that Audemars Piguet was also inspired by KAWS’s unconventional aesthetic: “As part of this collaboration, we pushed the limits of watchmaking technology to create a stunning scene centered on a figure, surrounded by a new hour and minute display system located on the periphery of the movement. ”

This new manual-winding Calibre 2979 features unique decorations such as the black PVD titanium bridge, whose padded appearance is inspired by KAWS’s cartoon characters, making the dialogue between mechanics and aesthetics more vivid. At the same time, the gear train bridge opens onto the ratchet, which powers the barrel arbor, which is scratched out to reproduce COMPANION’s iconic X-shaped eyes.

Other graphic designs are pleasing to the eye, including laser-engraved text such as “Swiss”, “39 jewels”, and the “fake Audemars Piguet” signature filled in with white lacquer. There are also two interchangeable leather straps to choose from, light grey or ash grey, both of which have a textile effect, making the watch even more interesting.