admin Audemars Piguet is never afraid to push the envelope with its collaborations. Back in the 2000s, the brand linked with Jay-Z on a groundbreaking Royal Oak; a decade later, they tapped LeBron James to make his own signature watch. The team at AP has only gotten more inventive from there: roping in Marvel to make high-end watches starring Black Panther and Spider-Man; allowing Alyx designer Matthew Williams to give its iconic designs a minimalist makeover. Now, the brand is continuing to grow its pop cultural cachet by collaborating with GQ Man of the Year Travis Scott.
Scott has long sported some of AP’s most audacious Royal Oaks on his wrist. Now, he’s concocted his own outrageous take on the watch. The new Royal Oak “Cactus Jack” Edition—nicknamed simply “The Chocolate AP” by Scott—comes packaged with every bell and whistle imaginable. It’s like Scott took a scan of AP’s buffet of capabilities and said, “One of each, please.” His RO comes equipped with a perpetual calendar—which accurately tracks the day, date, and month without needing to be set again until the year 2100—and a very pretty moon phase indicator. Naturally, the watch is openworked so the wearer can see all the machinery whirring away inside. Befitting its “Chocolate AP” nickname, the watch is crafted from brown ceramic—a very cool way for AP to continue its adventures in ceramic. The watch will retail for $201,000.
The new RO also comes with plenty of references to Scott’s Cactus Jack brand. The typography on the date indicators are based on Scott’s own handwriting. One of the subidal hands comes in the shape of the Cactus Jack logo. The best touch is on the moonphase indicator, where Cactus Jack’s sewn-up smiley face logo takes the place of the Earth. All the small details are considered: the clasp, naturally made of pink gold, is signed with the names of both Audemars Piguet and Travis Scott. The caseback is engraved with the phrases “Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar,” “Limited Edition of 200 Pieces,” and “Utopia is a state of mind.” (Scott’s most recent album is titled Utopia.)
