Audemars Piguet x Swatch Royal POP delivered on all fronts, including a super exciting lead-up with an unprecedented amount of AI-generated speculations on what the products would be. In the end nobody had guessed that it would be a unique pocket watch concept in a plethora of trendy colors. Royal POP simply ticks all boxes and will for sure ignite the watch collecting fire in many, young and old. Of course there are things to be learned from the physical release, but in my opinion no shadow falls on the brands: I am just appalled by flippers behaving like football hooligans, disturbing what should have been nothing but a great watch feast.
And now, after the Watches and Wonders cascade, we are also able to reflect on why certain watches tickled our fancy. Together with watch and jewelry expert Marie de Pimodan, editor in chief of GEM-T – our newest sibling in GMT Publishing focusing on jewelry – and GMT founder and Editor in chief Brice Lechevalier I have compiled a list of our favorite elegant, complicated, and jewelry watches. This will be published here on WorldTempus and our socials this weekend.
It will also be very interesting to see who will wear these products in the end – especially when you look at younger clients. Gen Z loves luxury, but you are likely not to see them flaunting watches on social media. At least according to CREA, the leading school in Geneva and Lausanne for Creative, Marketing, Communication, Digital, AI, Luxury and Event management. After conducting surveys among its students and analyzing several reports on consumer behaviors, the school arrived on the conclusion that luxury consumption is often inspired by influencers (and then fact checked and meticulously researched before being purchased online in the evening). But for the bulk of Gen Z clients luxury consumption is not about public display. No, it is a personal choice shared with their inner circle – a phenomenon linked both to a need for privacy and at all costs wanting to avoid potential criticism.
Last but not least it is with great sadness that we learned that Jean-Marie Schaller, founder of Ateliers Louis Moinet passed away on May 16. An entrepreneur who was true to himself, he was an inspirational beacon for many inside and outside the industry. In the midst of this we are however relieved to hear that Jean-Marie who founded the brand in 2004 has built such a strong foundation that his son Nathanaël will continue on his path with the support of a team including Kurt Kupper, a member of the board of directors and interim CEO.
