When Audemars Piguet and Swatch announced that they were collaborating to produce the Royal Pop, everybody knew it was going to create a hype beyond anything the watch world had seen before.
When Swatch and Omega joined forces for the MoonSwatch four years ago, it led to huge queues outside of stores around the globe and a hunt to track down the coveted collaboration. Two million sales later and it’s one of the biggest success stories in recent years as well as the blueprint for future Swatch collaborations with luxury brands.
Audemars and Swatch were anticipating unprecedented demand for the Royal Pop. It’s the first ever time Audemars have done anything like this and despite the fact the piece doesn’t actually function as a wristwatch, momentum swept the online watch community unlike anything in recent memory.
From the day of the announcement, some fans began camping outside Swatch stores across the globe. It’s a watch that is not yet available online so those queues began forming and many slept for several nights in the street to give themselves the best chance of obtaining a Royal Pop on the day of release, which was Saturday May 16.
Then chaos ensued.
Over the weekend, Swatch were forced to close several shops in the UK, across Europe and over the USA because of disorder from crowds.
In the UK, police were called to stores in virtually every major city. One man in Cardiff was arrested and police dogs were used to control crowds in Battersea and Westfield. In Birmingham, a full dispersal order was issued. Full on fist fights ignited at Manchester’s Trafford Centre.
Swatch reacted by closing its stores early and those in Liverpool and Manchester remained closed on Sunday, following a day of chaos and calamity.
France didn’t fair much better with teargas used in Paris in an attempt to control a several hundred strong crowd that had damaged Swatch’s shop.
Things also got physical in New York with one man who stood in line comparing the atmosphere to a mosh pit.
Audemars and Swatch originally said that the Royal Pop would be produced in far less quantities than the MoonSwatch but appear to have underestimated the furore for the piece with the reseller market for watches now in the same ballpark as trading cards and sneakers. Many people stood in line for days and immediately flipped the watches for ten times what the retail price of £335.
Since the unsightly scenes over the weekend, Swatch have called for calm.
They said in a statement: “To ensure the safety of both our customers and our staff in Swatch stores, we kindly ask you not to rush to our stores in large numbers to acquire this product.
“The Royal Pop collection will remain available for several months. In some countries, queues of more than 50 people cannot be accepted, and sales may need to be paused.”
Like this? Audemars Piguet x Swatch ‘Royal Pop’ watches are already being sold for thousands online
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