AP And KAWS Drop The Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon Companion

Audemars Piguet is a watchmaker that needs no introduction. The Royal Oak, its flagship model, is already an icon among luxury timepieces. Not one to just rest on its laurels, the company constantly innovates and collaborates with favorable results. Its latest venture taps the talents of American artist and designer Brian Donnelly for a limited-edition release. This is the AP x KAWS Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon Companion.

With an exclusive run of only 250 examples, this timekeeping instrument embodies something totally unique. As the product page describes it, “the timepiece is imbued with the aesthetic DNA of the New York-based artist.” Keep in mind that almost every Royal Oak variant released before this never made a substantial tweak like reference 26656TI.GG.D019VE.01.

Before we get into more detail, the AP x KAWS Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon Companion sports a 43 mm titanium case. At first glance, there’s nothing out of the ordinary. However, upon closer inspection, subtle elements start to stand out. For example, the hex screws surrounding the bezel flaunt the signature “X” of the popular lifestyle brand.

A light gray calfskin leather strap with color-matching stitching and an AP folding clasp closure accompanies the wristwatch. To the right is a black ceramic screw-down crown, while the open-work case back showcases the in-house Calibre 2979. This manual movement features 326 parts, 39 jewels, and a power reserve of 72 hours. It measures 32.3 mm x 10.4 mm.

The hand-wound mechanism operates the peripheral hours and minutes of the AP x KAWS Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon Companion. Framed right below the sapphire crystal is a “Companion” figure in micro-blasted and satin finishes. For low-light readability, the indicators and capsule hour markers are coated in luminescent paint.

Images courtesy of Audemars Piguet/KAWS