"What? It Wasn't a Wristwatch?" This Brand's Stock Soared 15%, Then Plunged After Official Announcement

Swatch and Audemars Piguet Launch Collaboration

Store Closures in Dubai, New York, and London

Police Deployed to Some Locations

As the launch of a new product collaborated on by Swiss luxury watch brand Audemars Piguet and popular watch brand Swatch approached, large-scale "open run" (lining up before store opening) phenomena occurred at locations around the world. In some regions, as crowds gathered and safety concerns grew, sales events and store operations were subsequently canceled.

On the 16th (local time), Bloomberg News reported, "Consumers who lined up for days to purchase the Audemars Piguet and Swatch collaboration product flocked to stores on the day of its release, causing some stores to remain closed, and the company requested customers to refrain from coming."

In front of Swatch stores around the world, consumers flocked to purchase watches resulting from the collaboration between Swiss watch brand Audemars Piguet and Swatch. Instagram

On this day, Swatch launched the 'Bioceramic Royal Pop Collection' in collaboration with Audemars Piguet. However, at stores such as Dubai Mall and the Mall of the Emirates in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), large crowds raised concerns about safety, leading to the cancellation of the launch event.

Swatch announced on Instagram, "Considering public safety, we have decided not to proceed with product sales and to cancel the event at both Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates." Similar notices were posted at stores in London, northern England, some parts of Scotland, and at Swatch locations in Lyon, Lille, Deauville, and Rennes, France. In the United States, around 20 stores, including those in New York, Los Angeles, and Orlando, also suspended operations due to safety concerns.

Customers flocked in front of a Swatch store overseas, prompting the police to respond. Instagram

Swatch stated, "For the safety of customers and employees, please do not flock to stores all at once to purchase the product," adding, "The new product will be available for sale over the next several months."

After news of the new product's launch broke, consumers eager to purchase it gathered in front of Swatch stores globally, resulting in long queues forming several days before the release—a so-called "open run." Even on the day of the launch, social networking services (SNS) featured posts showing long lines in front of stores and reports of arrests near the Swatch store close to Times Square in New York.

This product consists of eight pop art-style pocket watches based on Audemars Piguet's iconic "Royal Oak" model. They can also be used as necklaces, bag charms, or desk clocks. The price is set at around $400 to $420 (600,000 to 630,000 won) per piece.

Swatch has launched the 'Bioceramic Royal Pop Collection' in collaboration with Audemars Piguet. Swatch official website

Before the product's unveiling, there were expectations in the market that a Royal Oak wristwatch made of plastic would be released, leading Swatch's stock price to rise by about 15% prior to the launch. However, after the official announcement on the 12th revealed the product as a pocket watch, some of those gains were given up. Bloomberg reported that there was considerable consumer disappointment when the product was revealed in pocket watch form rather than as a wristwatch.

Some buyers reportedly purchased the product not to use it themselves, but to resell it for a profit. In fact, sales posts for prices over 1,000 euros (1.74 million won) appeared on luxury watch trading platforms such as Chrono24 and eBay.

Bloomberg pointed out, "This craze demonstrates that strategies to attract interest and secure growth momentum are becoming increasingly important in the sluggish luxury goods industry." In an interview, Audemars Piguet CEO Ilaria Resta said, "This is a bold attempt to spark interest and conversation about mechanical watches," adding, "We must create love and passion that transcends category boundaries."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.