Chinese Manufacturers Race to Build $15 Royal Pop Wrist Adapters Within Weeks
Updated
Updated · WIRED · May 14
Chinese Manufacturers Race to Build $15 Royal Pop Wrist Adapters Within Weeks
7 articles · Updated · WIRED · May 14
Working prototypes for adapters that turn Swatch and Audemars Piguet’s new Royal Pop pocket watch into a wristwatch could appear within a couple of weeks, with online listings possible in under a month, supply-chain experts said.
That rush follows a launch warped by AI-generated images of colorful Royal Oak wristwatches, which primed buyers for a product Swatch and AP never actually made.
The real release is an eight-model Royal Pop pocket-watch collection priced at $400 and $420, using a removable bioceramic case that third parties quickly recognized could be clipped into straps or bracelets.
Delugs in Singapore has already opened a wait list for its Project WristPop and is targeting a release before the end of 2026, while Alibaba and Temu sellers are expected to move faster on cheaper versions.
The scramble exposes Swatch and AP’s gamble: a pocket-watch sidestep protected AP’s core Royal Oak line, but may leave the brands competing with an aftermarket ecosystem that delivers the wristwatch fans wanted.
Did AP's pocket watch strategy backfire by creating a huge market for third-party wristwatch makers?
When AI hype creates a product fans want more than the real one, who actually wins?