Of all the unexpected collaborations and partnerships we saw in 2023, none were as big a surprise as Audemars Piguet releasing a Cactus Jack QP in collaboration with Travis Scott. Not because of the individuals involved, this is hardly APs first foray into the world of hip hop, but because of the result: a 200 piece Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar with an openworked dial and a brown ceramic case, and not a single gemstone or high polish surface in sight. I’d go so far as to say this is about as under-the-radar as you could get for a $200k+ openworked perpetual calendar. If you’ve been following any of the Cactus Jack product collaborations in recent years, the only surprise will be how well this now familiar colorway, which has graced everything from Air Jordans to McDonalds branded t-shirts, translates to high complication watchmaking.
The cultural significance of this collaboration speaks volumes to the vision that Audemars Piguet is enacting, and the connective tissue they are hoping to create between themselves and a new, different generation of enthusiasts. Not to court them as buyers for this watch, but to claim relevancy in the artistic spaces occupied by this generation. You could argue the same for their Marvel universe crossover Royal Oak Concept watches, which have housed the likeness of Black Panther and Spiderman, respectively. These watches are nothing if not polarizing, with many collectors bristling at the idea of a Holy Trinity watchmaker expressing themselves in such a manner. This Cactus Jack watch is a bit different, but each of these examples subvert expectations in a manner that welcomes the conversation, and indeed places them in a very different kind of conversation, among a group of people that you may not encounter at your local watch meetup.
In a hobby that’s often accused of being exclusionary, tearing down the walls that separate these spaces is a very good thing. A new cohort of enthusiasts whose experience of the hobby provides unique perspectives is a net gain as far as I’m concerned. The irony here, of course, is that many of the AP watches seen scrolling through Instagram or on the wrists of celebrities, including this very QP, are among the most difficult watches to procure on the planet, not to mention come with price tags that limit them to a very small percentage of the population. It may be more productive to view gestures such as this watch for their recognition of unconventional spaces, the art being created in them, and the people that occupy them.
It’s a similar story for the Travis Scott (or his production company, Cactus Jack) collabs that have come from Nike and McDonalds, for that matter. None are readily available, and almost all sell for a premium on sites like StockX and GOAT. Sneakers like the Air Jordan 4 Retro Travis Scott ‘Cactus Jack’ or the Jordan 1 Retro Mochas sell for north of $1,000 to this day, and while they offer new creative avenues to appreciate the Cactus Jack design codes, they are the veritable face of flipping culture, for better or worse.
How this Cactus Jack brown on brown on brown style has manifested in a watch from Audemars Piguet is quite interesting. This watch is based on the existing Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Openworked, which only exists in black ceramic with a full bracelet at the moment. The Cactus Jack variant gets a case crafted in brown ceramic, a first for AP, and ditches the bracelet in favor of an integrated brown calfskin strap. The case measures 41mm in diameter and a mere 9.9mm in thickness, and it wears exactly as well as you might imagine.
The focal point of the watch is the dial, which feels impossibly complex at a glance, and maybe even a bit busy. There is no real dial to speak of, just an open gulf over the non-existent movement baseplate. The view is filled with bridges and levers that comprise the works of the calendar mechanism within, and given the level of complication here jammed into a space under 10mm thick, there’s understandably a lot going on. The movement is the AP caliber 5135, and it comes packing 374 parts, standing 4.5mm tall.
The complications are spread across 4 sub dials that get smoked sapphire rings at the perimeter to aid legibility. At the center you’ll find the hour and minute hand as you’d expect, and a long red hand that points to the current week within the year around the perimeter of the dial. The day of the week can be found at 9 o’clock, which uses a pointer consisting of the Cactus Jack cross and wordmark. At 12 o’clock resides the month indication, with a leap year indication nested within, while the date itself is found at the 3 o’clock position. Finally, at 6 o’clock we find the moonphase display, which really puts this dial over the top.
Note: if you’re curious about how all this is operated, check out this cool user guide on the 5135 which shows how each complication is adjusted.
The moonphase disc features a pair of stitched smiley faces, a hallmark of Cactus Jack designs, filling in for the likeness of the moon. These are set within an aventurine backing that brings a welcome hit of blue to the dial. This element, paired with the red week hand, break up the otherwise monochromatic scheme going on throughout. In addition to the Cactus Jack symbolism at use, the numerical representations are rendered in a typeface that aligns with the rest of the design. In total this dial experience is very different from the standard Royal Oak QP, with plenty of unique personality that taps into the aesthetic of the artist. It is very literal, however, so unless you have a penchant for the Cactus Jack design codes and culture, you may not find the personality here compelling, exactly.
It seems that Audemars Piguet have leaned into the controversy here, understanding that this watch will alienate some (which it has), and be found provocative by others. Travis Scott is still seen as a somewhat controversial figure following the tragic events during his Astroworld Tour in 2021, and his profile in the intervening years has been more carefully considered. He is still releasing sneakers with Nike, and his McDonalds merch is still dropping. His collaborations continue with brands ranging from Dior, to Playstation and Fortnite, to Reese’s Puffs cereal. His power in the packaged good space may overshadow his influence on the stage, and this watch with Audemars Piguet may just top them all in terms of the power his brand holds right on up the food chain.
The Travis Scott x Audemars Piguet ‘Cactus Jack’ Perpetual Calendar is priced at $201,000, and all 200 pieces have been sold. Check out more of the watch over at Audemars Piguet.