Swatch encountered a surge in demand this week after its collaboration with luxury brand Audemars Piguet created significant crowd issues at stores around the globe.
The "Royal Pop" collection fuses Audemars Piguet's iconic Royal Oak watch with nostalgic Swatch POP designs from the Eighties. When the collab officially dropped on May 16, demand exceeded expectations. Queues formed days before launch, security interventions became necessary, and multiple store shutdowns followed.
According to reports, queues stretched for days before launch. On Saturday morning, the situation became severe enough that Swatch closed several locations worldwide. The company released a statement asking customers "not to rush to our stores in large numbers," citing safety concerns for both customers and staff.
The official retail price is $400. Resellers have listed the watches significantly higher: eBay listings start at $700, while StockX has them priced from $1,700.
Swatch is trickling out limited stock at select stores worldwide, with one watch per person per day. Online, you can only purchase accessories (leather lanyards cost $45); the actual watches are unavailable on Swatch.com. Secondary markets like eBay and StockX offer inventory at higher prices. Alternatively, customers can attempt to purchase in-store at participating locations.
Collectors are hunting for all eight watches in the collection. The resale demand continues to drive prices upward.
