Fights & Police Flood The AP X Swatch Releases Around The World

The social media hype behind the Audemars Piguet x Swatch collaboration may have chilled a bit after watch aficionados learned it was a pocket watch, but the real-life excitement persisted.

Akin to any sneaker or gaming console drop, whether by genuine fans or resellers, frenzies ensued outside Swatch locations in Milan, New York, Atlanta, Bangkok, and India.

Social media opened a window into the chaos outside of those locations that showed mobs of people, others trying to escape from being crushed, fighting, and massive lines with cranky campers.

The mayhem reached a point where Swatch decided to close stores and urged people that there’s no need to be urgent because pocket watches aren’t rare.

(After all, the brand’s partnership with fellow luxury Swiss watchmaker Omega, which launched in 2022, is readily available on the site now.)

“Today’s Bioceramic Royal Pop Collection launch saw extraordinarily high demand,” the company announced. “Some of our stores had to be closed in accordance with our security staff and local authorities to ensure a safe environment for everyone. We remind you that the Royal Pop Collection is not a limited edition.”

The statement continues that “in view of public safety considerations,” the following stores will remain closed today:

KING OF PRUSSIA (Pennsylvania)

SOHO (New York)

ROOSEVELT FIELD (New York)

SOMERSET (Michigan)

OAKBROOK (Illinois)

AVENTURA Florida

MALL AT MILLENIA (Florida)

DOMAIN (Texas)

NORTHPARK (Texas)

LENOX SQUARE (Georgia)

GREEN HILLS (Tennessee)

INTERNATIONAL PLAZA (Florida)

SOUTHPARK (North Carolina)

LINCOLD ROAD (Florida)

HOUSTON GALLERIA (Texas)

CHERRY CREEK (Colorado)

VALLEY FAIR (California)

The craziness shouldn’t be a huge surprise since social media immediately erupted last weekend when Swatch announced it’d be launching a collection with Audemars, whose cheapest watch can cost five figures.

Social media was flooded with regular folks ecstatic at the chance to own a Royal Oak—Audemars’ signature octagonal watch—for around $400.

Days later, Swatch showed off the entire colorful eight-watch collection. There’s the Lépine-style pocket watch; in the Otto Rosso, Huit Blanc, Green Eight, Blaue Acht, Orenji Hachi, and Ocho Negro colorways, where the winding crown is at 12 o’clock, equipped with just two hands.

Swatch championed the unconventional link-up in the press release.

“Two Swiss icons. One collection that rewrites the rules of watchmaking. This is the Royal Pop Collection, a groundbreaking union of Audemars Piguet’s iconic Royal Oak and Swatch’s POP watches from the 1980s.”

See the havoc below.