Kaws is ubiquitous. You may have seen his artwork in your local grocer’s cereal aisle on boxes of Reese’s Puffs and Count Chocula. On any given day in a major city, you’re bound to see one of his Uniqlo pullovers or T-shirts walking around the streets. The Brooklyn Nets will play wearing jerseys designed by him throughout the 2024-25 season. A Dior collaboration will hit stores in January 2025. And today, Kaws’ art will grace yet another product category: a wrist timepiece. His famous Companion appears on the dial of a new Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept watch worth over $200,000.
The “Companion” Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon is limited to 250 pieces. It features the head of Kaws’ signature character in the center of the dial, with its balloon-like hands pressing against the glass in an effort to escape. The three-dimensional sculpted design is immediately recognizable to anyone familiar with Kaws, but the artist’s personal favorite detail is more subtle, such as the custom X-shaped screws.
“I think that really pulls it together and it’s not something they’ve ever done before,” Kaws tells Complex. “I would like to retrofit some of my other watches with those screws.”
AP’s superior quality and craftsmanship are on full display with a sandblasted titanium case, gray calfskin leather strap, and glow-in-the-dark minute and hour markers that rotate around the outer rim of the dial (traditional hands were removed to fit the Companion).
This Kaws collab follows Audemars Piguet’s continuing effort at tapping into a customer base beyond the traditional luxury market. Last year, the Swiss watchmaker worked with Travis Scott on a ceramic brown Royal Oak, which accompanied a collection of apparel, a first for the brand. The same year, it worked with 1017 Alyx 9sm’s Matthew M. Williams for his own sleek take on the Royal Oak.
“I’ve been working on it for probably about two years,” says Kaws. “I’m so anxious to get it out into the world.”
Ahead of the reveal of the “Companion” Royal Oak Concept, we spoke with Kaws about this latest collaboration, what medium he wants to tackle next, and more.
You’re not a diehard watch collector. How did that impact your approach to this collaboration?
I don’t consider myself a collector, but the more I learn about AP, the more fascinated I am with it. I think it probably worked to my advantage to not be so caught up in the history of AP or general watch history. I approached it with a clean slate the way I would any project. I was really thinking about what kind of object I could make within these small parameters and what that would feel like to have with you day after day.
To be able to work with the artisans at AP and their level of craftsmanship, it kind of speaks to my OCD. I appreciate the no-cutting-corners aspect of watchmaking that they do. It’s like working with the best factory. I’m impressed by their abilities.
Can you speak more about the creative process for this particular piece?
The process started with meeting François [Henry-Bennahmias] over two years ago and first discussing the idea of having me work on the Royal Oak Concept. I love and wear a Jumbo, which is thinner, but the Concept gives me a larger field and a lot more opportunity to do something in. Then, I worked with my sculptor that I do all my pieces with [AllRightsReserved]. That sculpture was scaled by AP’s artisans and used for the face of the watch. With the material exploration, we wound up choosing a titanium finish.
What is your favorite detail of the watch?
Creating new screws for the piece, using my Xs instead of a straight head screw. I think that little detail really pulls it together and it’s not something they’ve ever done before. I would like to retrofit some of my other watches with those screws.
We’re in a time of collaboration fatigue and oversaturation. What makes a project still worthwhile to you?
I totally agree with you about the oversaturation of collaborations. It’s something I’ve done since the mid ’90s. It’s a way of me getting something out of my head with other talented people.
If it feels like it’s chartering new territory, that’s what makes the project feel special for me. You’re working within that space because it’s explorative and there’s a nervousness of it working or not working. That vulnerability is what still excites me.
Part of the reason why I like to do projects like the one with AP outside of my day-to-day practice is because it keeps things fresh. Doing this wild watch with them took quite a bit of time away from the studio. It makes me come back to the studio fresh. That keeps me stimulated.
In the past you’ve referred to collaborations as a family of work. How does this AP collab fit within your family?
When I think about my body of work, there are things that I haven’t really touched yet. It’s about adding a piece to the whole. Working with a company of the caliber of AP, I can do something like this and be content in the watch world for a very long time.
You’ve always been at the forefront of bridging the gap between streetwear and luxury. What are your thoughts as someone who’s seen the evolution of that relationship over the years?
I don’t know. I’ve always tried to avoid those categorizations of things, high and low. To me, it’s just people making things. I mean, I did get to watch a blending of interests, what you call luxury and streetwear. It’s interesting. There’s definitely projects that I would’ve never imagined 20 years ago that seem very right at the moment.
You’ve done sculpture, apparel, and now horology. Is there an arena that you feel like you can’t work in at this point?
I’ve always been naively optimistic. There’re definitely tons of things that I have not gone anywhere near that hopefully I’ll get to work with at some point. I’ve never done any architectural projects even though some of the engineering on the sculptures feels like it. I could easily see some of the larger scale things running into inhabitable spaces. It’s not something I’m actively pursuing, but I would find that extremely challenging. That’s always fun.
Someone you’ve consistently worked with throughout your career is Nigo. Aside from your years of friendship, what makes him a good collaborator to work with?
I have a lot of respect for him. I’ve always appreciated his sensibility and the way he’s invited me in. He lets me do my thing and is supportive of that. And if he’s making it, I know the quality is good.
Have you ever considered revisiting Original Fake?
No. I’m not saying that there can’t be some new iteration of it, but I’m definitely not going to sit around and try to hold onto the past. It was nice for what it was and there’s a reason why it ended. Maybe something else would come along, but I feel like that book is closed.
Is there anything in particular that you feel inspired by lately?
I love books. It’s different from searching for something on a search engine. That’s very nourishing.
I just opened a show at The Drawing Center. It’s my art collection, which is very different from showing my own paintings. Even though it’s all work that I’ve owned, some of it was in storage. Hanging 60 artists’ work in a new space and seeing all those different signs, that gave me a really good energy. It is funny. You can see a drawing or a painting every day, and then you hang it next to something else, and it sparks a whole new thought process. Putting those pieces in one space was a really rewarding process for me.
One of the advantages of collecting is to know the trajectories of artists. It gives you this confidence of knowing that there are a thousand ways to exist as an artist. You have to dig into your interests and let the chips fall where they do. I think that’s the only proper way to survive and succeed.
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