he futuristic design of this limited edition of 250 pieces, fully crafted in titanium, is imbued with the aesthetic DNA of one of the most popular artists working today, who has placed a miniature COMPANION at the very heart of the watch. To give pride of place to this cartoon-like character, the Manufacture has literally put time to the side thanks to the use of an innovative peripheral time display. At once universal and provocative, witty and inquisitive, the collaboration invites the viewer to see Haute Horlogerie in a different light and to reflect on the power of the imaginary to push boundaries.

The collaboration with the artist KAWS reinforces Audemars Piguet’s curiosity and ongoing dialogue with the cultural world. Over the years, the brand has partnered with luminaries across disciplines, including art and pop culture, to nurture its creativity, shake up the status quo and reflect on the meaning of Haute Horlogerie in today’s world.

KAWS, started out as a graffiti artist in New York City in the 1990s, making a name for himself by augmenting ads in phone booths and bus shelters. His early “ad intervention” work paved the way for his cast of characters, including COMPANION, which have served as experimental platforms to push the boundaries of what is possible in terms of shape, material and size – a strong link to both Audemars Piguet’s free-spirited mindset and the groundbreaking nature of the Royal Oak Concept collection in particular.

KAWS’ COMPANION has travelled across media and the globe, from toy figures and large-scale sculptures to giant floating inflatables and AR versions. Evoking both life and death, the real and the fake, this cartoon-like character is at once endearing and disconcerting. Its inherent dichotomy challenges norms and expectations, while inviting its audience to be curious, get out of their comfort zone and look at the world differently.

Today, this cultural phenomenon takes on unprecedented miniature proportions to explore the creative territory of fine watchmaking. Placed at the very heart of its eponymous Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon limited edition, this imaginary character both subverts and humanises Haute Horlogerie, pushing the limits of the craft.

“It has been an incredible experience working with Audemars Piguet over the past two years to bring this project to fruition. I find the world of watchmaking fascinating, and the artisans at Audemars Piguet are truly exceptional in their craft. I am honoured to have my watch included in the company’s catalogue, which spans over a hundred years of watchmaking excellence.” - KAWS artist

The 43 mm Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon “COMPANION” incorporates KAWS’ aesthetic on both sides of the watch. In a tribute to the artist’s early “ad intervention” work, KAWS’ COMPANION appears beneath the watch’s sapphire crystal, its face and hands seemingly touching the inner surface of the glass, curiously peering out to see what lies beyond.

This miniature 3D character in contrasting shades of light and dark grey is entirely made of titanium and is mounted on the titanium dial plate decorated with a sunburst motif. Its alternating satin-brushed and sandblasted finishes add texture and depth, while accentuating its rounded silhouette. Its skull-shaped head, X-shaped eyes, gloves and crossbones make it instantly recognisable. The X eyes have been cut into the titanium component and filled with a thin layer of grey lacquer.

Lastly, in a nod to KAWS’ dissected series, the chest of the COMPANION reveals its beating heart, the watch’s tourbillon, blurring the line between the character and the movement.

To ensure an unobstructed view of the miniature COMPANION on the dial side, Audemars Piguet has literally pushed time to the side by using a peripheral time display that offers new aesthetic possibilities for both movement and dial designs.

The hour and minute hands rotate around the periphery of the movement and dial, thanks to two visible, superimposed gear wheels driven by pinions and guided by rollers. The titanium hour and minute hands, both filled with luminescent material that turns blue in the dark, are fixed to their respective peripheral wheel. In addition, the minute hand is openworked to distinguish it from the hour hand and facilitate the reading of time. The five-minute graduations, carved into the titanium inner bezel, also glow blue in dim light.

“As part of this collaboration, we have pushed our limits in terms of watchmaking technology to create a spectacular setting with the character at the centre, surrounded by a brand-new hour and minute display system housed in the periphery of the movement.” - Lucas Raggi, Research and Development Director, Audemars Piguet

The multifaceted titanium case, finished with an alternation of sandblasting, satin-brushing and polishing, echoes the miniature COMPANION’s contrasting textures and grey shades, while the case’s titanium inserts augment the Royal Oak Concept’s futuristic architecture. Both the bezel and the caseback have been secured to the case middle with eight hexagonal screws subtly marked with KAWS’ trademark X. This motif is also engraved on the satin-brushed frame of the sapphire caseback, alongside KAWS’ signature and the words “Limited Edition of 250 pieces.” The black ceramic crown, topped with a titanium chip, adds the final touch.

The play of textures and light continues on the dark grey calfskin leather strap. The interchangeable system integrated directly into the case and the triple-blade folding clasp allows the wearer to change styles with a quick click and release. The watch comes with a second strap in slate grey calfskin leather, also decorated with a textile pattern, to enhance its contrasting grey tones.

This limited edition is powered by the new hand-wound peripheral hour and minute movement, Calibre 2979, which gives pride of place to the tourbillon on the dial side at 6 o’clock. This delicate, high-end complication reduces the effects of gravity on the watch’s accuracy. The balance wheel and escapement are housed in a tiny rotating cage that completes a revolution every minute to prevent their centre of gravity from staying in the same orientation.

The sapphire caseback showcases the movement’s black-PVD titanium bridges, whose padded aesthetic is inspired by KAWS’ cast of characters. The gear train bridge opens onto the ratchet wheel, which arms the barrel-arbour when the watch is wound, and which has been crossed out to reproduce KAWS’ emblematic X. The click that prevents it from turning in the unwinding direction is also visible at 12 o’clock. The bridges’ blackened aesthetic is contrasted by the mention of “Swiss,” “39 jewels” and the “Audemars Piguet” signature, all engraved by laser and filled with white lacquer.

“Audemars Piguet has always been part of the culture of the moment, engaging in enriching conversations and collaborations with fields as diverse as art, pop culture, sport and the entertainment industry. KAWS has taken collaboration to a whole new level. By placing a miniature COMPANION at the heart of a Royal Oak Concept, he not only challenged us to push new boundaries, he also encouraged us to look at our craftsmanship from a more humanistic perspective and reflect on the power of both the imaginary and Haute Horlogerie to inspire curiosity and evoke strong emotions.” - Ilaria Resta, Chief Executive Officer, Audemars Piguet

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

ROYAL OAK CONCEPT TOURBILLON “COMPANION” / 43 MM 26656TI.GG.D019VE.01 Limited edition of 250 pieces / FUNCTIONS Tourbillon, peripheral hours and minutes. / CASE Sandblasted titanium case, black ceramic crown with titanium chip, double glareproofed sapphire crystal, sapphire caseback, water-resistance to 100 m. Case thickness: 17.4 mm / DIAL Sunburst titanium dial plate with miniature titanium KAWS’ COMPANION in shades of grey, sandblasted light grey titanium inner bezel, peripheral titanium hands and hour-markers with luminescent material glowing blue in the dark. / STRAP Interchangeable light grey calfskin leather strap with textile effect, titanium triple-blade AP folding clasp. Second interchangeable slate grey calfskin leather strap with textile effect. / MOVEMENT SPECIFICATIONS Hand-wound Calibre 2979 Total diameter 32.3 mm (14 ¼ lignes) Total thickness 10.4 mm Number of parts 332 Number of jewels 39 Minimum power reserve guaranteed 72 h Frequency of balance wheel 3 Hz (21,600 vibrations/hour)