"Camping Out for a Week"...Fistfights and 'Open Run' Frenzy Over Product with Prices Soaring Dozens of Times

Swatch x Audemars Piguet Collaboration Sparks 'Royal Pop' Craze
Queues for 'Open Run' Form a Week in Advance Outside Stores
Physical Altercations, Police Response, and Store Closures Amplify Chaos
Resale Prices Skyrocket Dozens of Times Imm

On the 15th (local time), the Audemars Piguet x Swatch ‘Royal Pop’ watch was displayed inside the display case at the Swatch store in Times Square, New York, USA. Photo by AFP Yonhap News

The new 'Royal Pop Collection,' recently released by Swiss watch brand Swatch in collaboration with luxury watchmaker Audemars Piguet, is making waves around the world. People have been camping out in front of stores for a week to secure an 'open run' spot, while so-called 'line sitters'—individuals who hold places in line for a fee—and resellers hoping for a premium, have all contributed to an increasingly chaotic situation. In Paris, France, tear gas was deployed; in Milan, Italy, fistfights broke out; and in Chicago, USA, police were called in after crowds pounded on store glass doors. The turmoil continues to escalate. Analysts say that the limited-edition hype and an overheated resale market have fueled speculative demand as well.

According to reports from The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and other overseas media on May 20 (local time), Swatch recently launched the 'Royal Pop Collection' in collaboration with Audemars Piguet simultaneously worldwide. The product is a pocket watch inspired by Audemars Piguet's iconic 'Royal Oak' design, reimagined with a pop art aesthetic. It can be worn as a necklace pendant, used as a bag accessory, or displayed as a desk clock. Each piece is priced at $400–$420 (about 600,000–630,000 won), offering a relatively low entry barrier compared to Audemars Piguet watches, which typically cost tens of millions of won.

"Camping Out for a Week"...A Global 'Open Run' Phenomenon

The response from the market was enthusiastic even before the launch. As the collaboration was praised as 'legendary' on social networking services (SNS), long queues began forming in front of major city stores in New York, London, Paris, and Tokyo a week in advance. Some consumers brought camping chairs and blankets to spend the night waiting, highlighting the fever pitch of the launch.

On the 15th (local time), citizens were waiting to enter the Swatch store at Times Square in New York, USA, ahead of the launch of the Audemars Piguet x Swatch 'Royal Oak' watch. Photo by AFP Yonhap News

The chaos peaked on launch day. Swatch sold the product exclusively in offline stores without online pre-orders or timed collection systems, causing demand to flood in all at once. Rumors that quantities were limited quickly created a tense atmosphere.

From Fistfights to Tear Gas...Scenes Become Uncontrollable

In Milan, Italy, buyers and resellers clashed physically, prompting police to disperse the crowds. At a store near Paris, France, police used tear gas as hundreds gathered. In Chicago and New York, USA, shoppers were seen jumping barricades to enter stores, and in some areas, arrests were made. Amid the chaos, medical emergencies occurred, requiring ambulances and raising safety concerns.

As the situation escalated, some stores in Dubai canceled their launch events altogether, and several stores in Europe and the United States temporarily closed. Swatch eventually issued a notice asking customers not to gather in large numbers at stores to purchase the product.

Citizens are waiting to enter the store in front of the Swatch store ahead of the launch of the Audemars Piguet x Swatch 'Royal Pop' watch. Screenshot from SNS

Prices Soar by Dozens of Times—Is the Overheated Resale Market to Blame?

The prevailing analysis is that the overheating of the resale market lies at the heart of the recent turmoil. On secondhand trading platforms, products originally priced around $400 have surged to thousands of dollars, trading at dozens of times their original price.

Some models have reached prices close to $9,000, and full sets of all models have been listed for tens of thousands of dollars. As the watches became perceived as "investment items" with the potential for high short-term returns, demand grew even further.

In the United States, 'line sitters' have appeared—people who, for an hourly fee, wait in line on behalf of others. Such services, reminiscent of previous iPhone launches and limited-edition sneaker frenzies, have further fueled the phenomenon.

Swatch appears to be actively leveraging the controversy. The company stated, "The response to the Royal Pop Collection has been phenomenal worldwide. SNS views have surpassed 11 billion, and our website has seen millions of visits." The company added that "the product will continue to be sold for several months."

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