SJX Watches
Audemars Piguet and KAWS Debut the Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon “Companion”
Continuing with its limited editions that cross over into pop culture, Audemars Piguet (AP) now turns to KAWS for its latest collaboration, the Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon “Companion” 43 mm. The contemporary artist, whose real name is Brian Donnelly, lends his “Companion” figure to the dial. Depicted as pressing up against the crystal, the character is realised as a miniature sculpture in titanium with a flying tourbillon at its heart. Kaw’s signature creation takes up almost the entirety of the dial courtesy of the newly-developed cal. 2979 that has a peripheral time display, allowing the hour and minute hands to go under and around “Companion”. Initial thoughts The Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon by Kaws is AP’s best collaboration to date. Amongst AP’s past collaborations, some were too minimalist, while the Marvel editions were controversial (though I liked them). Amongst contemporary art collaborations more broadly, the Kaws tourbillon ranks up there alongside the Hublot Classic Fusion Takashi Murakami in terms of appeal (though it is nowhere near as affordable as the time-only Hublot). The overall aesthetic of the Kaws tourbillon is coherent and appealing. Encircled by an industrial-technical-looking chapter ring, the figure looks at home. The visible large gears for the peripheral hands add to the visual effect. Granted, the Kaws tourbillon is a figurative depiction of the artist’s best known work, so it isn’t exactly imaginative, but it is done ...
