AP CEO reports huge spike in interest on the back of the Royal Pop
If an uplift in brand profile and interest was what Audemars Piguet was looking for from its smash collaboration with Swatch, the numbers suggest that it’s achieved it.
At least that’s the view of the brand’s CEO, Ilaria Resta, who told Bloomberg this week that its “website received more than 10 times the visitors that we have in a year in only one day.”
This ties in with early data from Chrono24, which also suggested significant spikes in interest for the watch on the secondary market.
The Royal Pop pocket watch went on sale on 16 May, with frantic scenes of eager fans trying to get their hands on one repeated across the globe.
In light of these often unsavoury incidents, Resta has pleaded with fans to remain patient, pointing out that the pocket watch would be available for many months to come.
In the Bloomberg interview, Resta also addressed the raised eyebrows that some in the industry have raised about the strategic decision to get into bed with a high volume brand like Swatch in the first place, citing the need to broaden AP’s appeal to a younger demographic. “Nobody needs a watch to tell the time,” she said. “We need to preserve this wonderful industry.”
Of particular note was Resta’s assurance that proceeds from the Royal Pop would be used to fund watchmaking courses, as she acknowledged the chronic shortage of watchmakers, which Watch Insider explored in-depth earlier this year.
