The frenzy surrounding the new watch created through the collaboration between Swatch and Audemars Piguet sparked chaos in Milan over the weekend. On Saturday, hundreds of people lined up from the early hours of the morning outside Swatch stores in Corso Vittorio Emanuele and Piazza Gae Aulenti, hoping to get their hands on the “Royal Pop,” a limited-edition pocket watch launched by the Swiss brand.
Excitement around the drop was fueled not only by collectors’ interest, but also by the booming resale market. The watch, retailing for around €385, quickly appeared online for more than €2,000. Once the available stock - roughly 160 pieces in total - sold out, tensions escalated outside the stores. In central Milan, a fight reportedly broke out among people waiting in line, while pushing and protests erupted at the Piazza Gae Aulenti location after staff announced that the watches were no longer available.
The scenes in Milan reflected wider disorder surrounding the launch across several countries. In New York, barriers were knocked over by crowds outside the Times Square store at opening time, while in France police used tear gas to disperse hundreds of people gathered outside a shop near Paris. Several Swatch stores across Europe were temporarily closed over public safety concerns.