Swatch Watch launch sparks chaos across New York and Europe as fans clash over limited edition drop

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Lifestyle 17-05-2026 | 08:42

Swatch Watch launch sparks chaos across New York and Europe as fans clash over limited edition drop

Overnight queues, tear gas, street fights and resale prices soaring to $4,000 — the launch of Swatch’s latest collaboration with Audemars Piguet triggered scenes of frenzy from Times Square to Paris as collectors scrambled to get their hands on the highly sought-after “Royal Pop” release.

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Swatch Watch launch sparks chaos across New York and Europe as fans clash over limited edition drop
Queues of people in front of a Swatch store. (AFP)
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The launch of Swatch’s new limited-edition watches sparked chaos on Saturday in New York and several European cities, with French police using tear gas to restore order outside a store near Paris.

 

 

Hundreds of people waited overnight, and some for several days, hoping to secure the “Royal Pop” pocket watch, produced by Swatch in collaboration with luxury watchmaker Audemars Piguet.

 

 

 

In France, lines of hundreds stretched through the night in several cities, with a police source saying tear gas had to be used to control a crowd of around 300 people outside a Swatch store in the Paris area.

 

In Milan, a fight broke out in front of a Swatch store on Saturday according to footage broadcast by local media.

 

Queues of people in front of a Swatch store. (AFP)
Queues of people in front of a Swatch store. (AFP)

 

In the Netherlands, police were forced to intervene at a shopping center near The Hague after hundreds flocked to a Swatch store.

 

Police reported that "the atmosphere was tense, and some scuffles occurred."

 

When the store finally decided not to open its doors, people were sent home. Swatch also kept its stores in Amsterdam and Utrecht closed.

 

 

 

It remains unclear when the stores will reopen. The Dutch Westfield Center announced on its website that the launch of the Swatch watch, created in collaboration with luxury watchmaker Audemars Piguet, will not continue, adding that the store will remain closed throughout the weekend.

 

 

In New York, the Swatch store in Times Square saw a rush among waiting crowds, according to John McIntosh, who had been standing in line since Wednesday, as reported by Agence France-Presse.

 

 

 

Like many others, John McIntosh hoped to secure the brightly colored watch, sold in stores for between $400 and $420, and immediately resell it for a substantial profit.

 

 

Another buyer, who identified himself as Mack, said he managed to purchase a Swatch watch after waiting in line for five days.

 

He told Agence France-Presse, "The retail price is around $400, and I just sold one for four thousand."

 

Thirty-year-old Benny decided to cut through the wait with money, paying $2,400 for one of the watches.

 

He said, "You can't get an Audemars Piguet for less than two thousand dollars, so I think it was a bargain."

 

Swatch was forced to close its stores in London and six other UK cities "for safety reasons" after huge crowds gathered outside.

Tags
Swatch ، New York ، Paris ، Royal Pop ، Audemars Piguet ، France ، Milan ، Netherlands ، European cities ، Swatch store