Chaos Erupts at Swatch Stores with Audemars Piguet Collaboration

Chaos at Swatch Stores Over Audemars Piguet Collaboration

The release of the Royal Pop line, a collaboration between Swatch and luxury watchmaker Audemars Piguet, has led to widespread chaos at Swatch stores across the United States. Fans have flocked in droves to purchase the new collection, resulting in fights, altercations, and even arrests.

The Royal Pop line features eight different watch variations in shades of pink, white, deep green, mint green, light blue, yellow, black, and navy. Each watch is priced between $400 and $420, making it significantly more affordable than the typical Audemars Piguet Royal Oak design, which can range from about $36,600 to $112,700, according to Chrono24.

As demand surged, at least 17 Swatch stores were forced to close temporarily due to public safety concerns, as reported by the company on Instagram. These closures affected locations in California, Florida, New York, Texas, and Michigan.

In Houston, over 100 people had queued up for the collaboration before the store at The Galleria shopping mall abruptly closed. Hriday Patel, who waited with his friends since around 4 a.m., described the situation as chaotic. He noted that fights broke out within just three hours of the line forming. Patel criticized the lack of crowd management, saying that the Galleria should have provided more security or barriers to manage the line.

A store employee, who did not reveal her name, acknowledged the intensity of the crowd when announcing the closure, according to video captured by the Houston Chronicle. She said, “Due to the safety of our staff and you guys, we have to shut down the store today.”

Among those in line, Edric Gray described several altercations involving someone who attempted to cut in line. The individual moved dozens of chairs to the back, replaced them with his own, and chained them to a metal pole. When he stepped away, the chain was cut down by others who returned the chairs to their original spots. Gray said, “It got very aggressive.”

Another local, Cy Hargrove, was about 120th in line and had been waiting since Thursday to buy a watch for his mother. He expressed disappointment, stating, “If I could've snuck my way into the front, I might have gotten a watch.”

In Austin, Texas, three people were arrested for criminal trespassing at a Swatch store in The Domain mall. According to CBS Austin, police were called after a group began fighting around 4 a.m. in anticipation of the store opening at 10 a.m. Law enforcement asked people to disperse multiple times, and those who refused were arrested. No injuries were reported, and the scene was cleared by 8 a.m.

In Troy, Michigan, police were called to the Somerset Collection store as hundreds of customers lined up around 4:30 a.m. The Troy Police Department requested assistance from surrounding agencies to manage the crowd. Two individuals were cited for trespassing after refusing to leave.

The chaos was not limited to the U.S. In New York City, at least one person was taken away in handcuffs at the Times Square store, according to the New York Post. John McIntosh, 44, described the scene as “a total s*** show,” noting that the line had turned into a “mosh pit” since Wednesday morning.

Swatch acknowledged the high demand for the Royal Pop Collection on its social media channels, stating that some stores had to be closed to ensure a safe environment for everyone. The company also clarified that the collection is not a limited edition and urged customers not to rush to stores in large numbers.

However, some buyers were looking to resell the watches for profit. As of Saturday, the watch was already being re-sold online for up to nearly $8,500. Swatch mentioned that lines of more than 50 people would not be accepted in some countries, and sales might need to be paused if the situation continues.

Chaos at Swatch stores over the collaboration has also been reported internationally in Switzerland, France, and England. The Daily Mail has reached out to Swatch for further comment.