Founded in 1875, Audemars Piguet is one of the world’s most prestigious luxury watch brands, although the historic Swiss manufacturer is characterized by a significantly less traditional spirit than many of its competitors. As a member of the “Holy Trinity” of watchmaking, Audemars Piguet is universally regarded as one of the undisputed heavyweights from the world of horology. However, rather than adhering to a traditional concept of luxury, AP embraces a thoroughly contemporary image, and this has resulted in some truly unique and unexpected collaborations.
Similar to other luxury brands, Audemars Piguet has collaborated with numerous different professional athletes over the years, with past partnerships including everyone from Lionel Messi and LeBron James to Juan Pablo Montoya and Sachin Tendulkar. However, Audemars Piguet also has a history of teaming up with various types of creative entities, such as actors, musicians, jewelry designers, and even Hollywood film franchises. While some of AP’s collaborations are inherently divisive, the brand’s unconventional partnerships have also provided it with a truly distinct and contemporary identity. From rappers and fashion designers to race car drivers and fictional superheroes, below is a closer look at the top 10 Audemars Piguet collaborations.
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arguably one of the most important collaborations in Audemars Piguet’s modern history is the brand’s partnership with Hollywood actor Arnold Schwarzenegger, which first started in the late 1990s and paved the way for the diverse assortment of Royal Oak collaboration models that exists today. In 1999, Audemars Piguet teamed up with Schwarzenegger to create the Royal Oak Offshore ref. 25770SN/O/001KE/01, which was a 500-piece limited edition with yellow accents and a black PVD finish that was worn by Schwarzenegger in the film End of Days. Additionally, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Royal Oak Offshore in 2023, Audemars Piguet revived the “End of Days” model in the form of the ref. 26420CE.OO.A005VE.01, which reimagined the original design with an updated movement and a case made from black ceramic.
The relationship between Audemars Piguet and Arnold Schwarzenegger has spanned multiple decades, with numerous different collaboration watches resulting from the partnership. To commemorate Schwarzenegger’s role in the 2003 film Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, AP released the titanium Royal Oak Offshore T3 Chronograph ref. 25863TI.OO.A001CU.01, which was a 1,000-piece limited edition with prominent guards surrounding its crown and chronograph pushers. In 2011, Audemars Piguet created the Royal Oak Offshore Arnold Schwarzenegger The Legacy Chronograph ref. 26378IO.OO.A001KE.01 as a 1,500-piece limited edition with a 48mm black ceramic case, and it is ultimately the famous Hollywood actor’s partnership with the historic Swiss manufacturer that laid the foundation for all other AP collaboration watches.
Travis Scott
For the last several years, American rapper and record producer Travis Scott has been one of the world’s most desirable collaborators across numerous different industries, and nearly every single product co-signed by him and his “Cactus Jack” brand immediately sells out. Similarly, a significant number of Audemars Piguet’s most popular models are also near-impossible to secure at a retail level, and when Travis Scott teamed up with AP in 2023 to create the Royal Oak Travis Scott Cactus Jack Perpetual Calendar ref. 26585CM.OO.D301VE.01, the 200-piece limited edition quickly became one of the Swiss brand’s most fiercely coveted watches.
A big part of the reason why the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Travis Scott Cactus Jack Perpetual Calendar was such a noteworthy release is because the watch introduced a new hue of ceramic to the Swiss brand’s catalog, with its case rendered in chocolate brown ceramic (the signature color of Travis Scott’s Cactus Jack brand). It is also worth noting that in addition to the commercially available ref. 26585CM.OO.D301VE.01, AP also produced 11 examples of a “friends and family” version, which has rose gold center links connecting its brown fabric strap, and Travis Scott himself has a piece-unique edition of the Cactus Jack Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar that features a bezel set with rainbow-colored gemstones.
Marvel
Audemars Piguet’s collaborations with Marvel have arguably been some of the most divisive among the brand’s recent releases, and the partnership has currently yielded two different limited-edition watches that are each inspired by a different Marvel superhero. In 2021, Audemars Piguet launched the Royal Oak Concept Black Panther Flying Tourbillon ref. 26620IO.OO.D077CA.01 as a limited edition of 250 examples with a 42mm titanium case and a hand-painted Black Panther figure carved from white gold. Additionally, AP created a piece-unique version of the Royal Oak Concept Black Panther Flying Tourbillon that featured a white gold case adorned with intricate engravings, and the one-of-a-kind watch sold for $5.2 million at a charity auction later that year in 2021.
In 2023, Audemars Piguet and Marvel released a second collaboration watch, and the Royal Oak Concept Royal Oak Concept Spider Man Flying Tourbillon ref. 26631IO.OO.D002CA.01 is essentially the Spider-Man version of the original Black Panther model. Similar to the inaugural AP x Marvel watch that debuted two years before, Audemars Piguet produced the Royal Oak Concept Royal Oak Concept Spider Man Flying Tourbillon as a limited edition of 250 examples. However, the brand also created a piece-unique “Black Suit” version with a white gold case adorned by luminous web engravings, and the one-of-a-kind timepiece sold for $6.2 million at a charity auction in 2023, beating the previous record set by the piece-unique Black Panther model, and making it the most expensive Audemars Piguet watch ever sold.
KAWS
In 2024, Audemars Piguet teamed up with the American artist and designer KAWS to produce a 250-piece limited edition that combines traditional horology with pop-art to create a striking and highly distinct luxury timepiece. Based upon an angular 43mm titanium case, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon KAWS Companion ref. 26656TI.GG.D019VE.01 forgoes a traditional set of hands, and it instead features KAWS’ signature “Companion” cartoon character in the center of its dial, with a set of peripherally-mounted indicators that are used to display the time. Rather than just being a thematic version of an existing watch, the Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon KAWS Companion represents a tangibly different offering than anything else in Audemars Piguet’s modern lineup, and it stands out as a perfect example of how the Swiss manufacturer is able to blend classic watchmaking with contemporary pop culture.
John Mayer
Along with being a Grammy Award-winning musician, John Mayer is also a huge watch collector who has a longstanding personal relationship with Audemars Piguet. Last year in 2024, AP and John Mayer teamed up to create a 200-piece limited edition that was based upon the brand’s ultra-thin Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar watch. Crafted entirely from solid 18k white gold and fitted with a matching white gold integrated bracelet, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar John Mayer ref. 26574BC.OO.1220BC.02 showcases a blue “Crystal Sky” dial, which is characterized by a dramatic faceted texture that runs throughout its surface. Additionally, while Audemars Piguet produced 200 examples of the ref. 26574BC.OO.1220BC.02, John Mayer naturally has a piece-unique version of his own signature model, and the one-of-a-kind timepiece expands upon the commercially-available version with a blue sapphire-set bezel.
Michael Schumacher
After becoming an Audemars Piguet brand ambassador in 2010, legendary race car driver Michael Schumacher teamed up with the Swiss watch manufacturer in 2012 to create a trio of limited-edition Royal Oak Offshore models. Each crafted from a different case material, the titanium ref. 26568IM.OO.A004CA.01 was produced as a limited edition of 1,000 examples, while the rose gold ref. 26568OM.OO.A004CA.01 was a 500-piece limited edition, and the platinum ref. 26568PM.OO.A021CA.01 was the most exclusive among the trio as a limited edition of just 100 watches. In 2015, Audemars Piguet released the Royal Oak Concept Michael Schumacher Laptimer ref. 26221FT.OO.D002CA.01 as a 221-piece limited edition to honor his legacy, with the quantity of examples serving as a nod to the number of point-scoring races that Michael Schumacher competed in during his F1 career.
Tamara Ralph
When Audemars Piguet teamed up with Tamara Ralph in 2024, the famous Australian fashion designer completely reimagined the appearance of the Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon to create a 102-piece limited edition that stands out as one of the most visually striking timepieces the Swiss brand has ever put forward. Featuring an angular 38.5mm case crafted from frosted 18k rose gold, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon Tamara Ralph ref. 26630OR.GG.D626CR.01 showcases a multi-layer dial that consists of overlapping off-center concentric circles in different colors, and the unique design of the dial provides the watch with an immense amount of visual depth. Additionally, the diamond-set flying tourbillon at 6 o’clock features a structure that echoes the off-center circular motif of the dial, and this creates a visually captivating display as the tourbillon rotates along its axis.
1017 ALYX 9SM
In 2023, Audemars Piguet partnered with fashion designer Matthew Williams and his streetwear label 1017 Alyx 9SM to create a capsule collection of five limited-edition Royal Oak watches. Alongside a 37mm time-only model crafted from 18k yellow gold (ref.15550BA.OO.1356BA.02) is a 41mm yellow gold chronograph (ref. 26240BA.OO.1320BA.01), and the collection also includes a pair of 42mm Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph models in either yellow gold (ref. 26238BA.OO.2000BA.01) or white gold (26238BC.OO.2000BC.01). The fifth watch from the Audemars Piguet x 1017 Alyx 9SM collaboration is a piece-unique Royal Oak Chronograph crafted from stainless steel and yellow gold (ref. 26240SA.OO.1320SA.01), and while the one-off version is fitted with a black dial, the four commercially available models all feature brushed metallic dials that match their cases and are entirely devoid of any markings or indexes.
Carolina Bucci
Audemars Piguet and Italian jewelry designer Carolina Bucci have been collaborating on watches since 2016, with the inaugural release consisting of a quartet of models in either 33mm or 37mm cases that were crafted from 18k white or rose gold with a frosted finish. Two years later in 2018, Audemars Piguet and Carolina Bucci teamed up again to create the 37mm Royal Oak Carolina Bucci Edition ref. 15454OR.GG.1259OR.03, which was a limited edition of 300 examples that paired a frosted yellow gold case and bracelet with a striking mirrored dial. However, the partnership between AP and Carolina Bucci has since evolved to embrace a noticeably more contemporary aesthetic, and in 2022, the Swiss brand released the 34mm Royal Oak Carolina Bucci Edition ref. 77350CE.OO.1266CE.02, which is a 300-piece limited edition that features a rainbow-colored sapphire dial with a case and integrated bracelet made from black ceramic.
Jay-Z
To celebrate his 10-year anniversary in the music industry, American rapper and businessman Jay-Z collaborated with Audemars Piguet in 2005 to create an exclusive collection of 100 limited-edition watches. The 100 examples of the Audemars Piguet Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph Jay-Z Edition were spread across three distinct references, with each one featuring a different material for its 44mm case. In total, AP produced 50 examples of the Jay-Z Royal Oak Offshore in stainless steel (ref. 26055ST.OO.D001CR.01), 30 examples in rose gold (ref. 26055OR.OO.D001CR.01), and the platinum version (ref. 26055PT.OO.D028CR.01) was the most exclusive among the trio as a limited edition of just 20 pieces. Audemars Piguet’s 2005 collaboration with Jay-Z marks the first time that the Swiss manufacturer partnered with a musician to create a signature watch, and the Royal Oak Offshore Jay-Z Edition is credited with laying the groundwork for future collaborations with musicians like John Mayer and Travis Scott.
