Audemars Piguet and Royal Pop defy luxury watch slump and tariffs

Luxury watchmaker Audemars Piguet says its sales and engagement are breaking records after its risky, eye-catching Royal Pop collaboration with Swatch earlier this year, according to the company's CEO.

Audemars Piguet in May teamed up with Swatch to launch a line of brightly colored timepieces attached to lanyards and priced at $400 apiece. The Royal Pop collaboration set off a frenzy of interest on social media, with Swatch posting a request on Instagram for customers "not to rush to our stores." The furor sparked a debate in the luxury industry about whether Audemars Piguet, whose ultra-rare watches sell for more than $30,000, had cheapened the brand and debased a revered member of the "Holy Trinity" of Swiss watchmakers, which includes Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin.