Swatch Closes Stores After Crowds Form for Audemars Piguet Collaboration Pocket Watches

Hundreds of shoppers began lining up Friday night outside the Topanga Westfield mall in Los Angeles in hopes of purchasing a pocket watch from the Royal Pop collaboration between Swatch and Audemars Piguet. The collection merges Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak design with Swatch’s POP line and features bright colors reminiscent of 1980s styles.

Police turned away more than 100 people who had planned to spend the night outside the mall after it ran out of stock. Some in line said they wanted the watch for personal use. “I’m probably the only one who wants to wear it here,” Northridge resident Aidan Chin said.

” Others indicated they would consider selling. “For the right price I’d be willing to part ways with it,” Woodland Hills resident William Enenstein said. ” The collection includes eight unique pocket watches that sell for around $400. On eBay, individual watches have been listed for as much as $2,000 while full sets have appeared for $3,000 and $4,000.

The company announced Saturday that it had closed many stores, including the Topanga location, as well as stores in New York City, Houston, Orlando and Atlanta.

A statement from the company said, “Today’s Bioceramic Royal Pop Collection launch saw extraordinarily high demand. ” The company added that the collection is not a limited edition and will remain available for several months. Videos posted on social media showed crowds at Swatch stores in multiple cities.

One video indicated that a Los Angeles store sold 50 watches before closing. At a New York City location, a crowd of 330 people formed and the store did not open. Similar closures occurred at stores in several other cities after large lines developed.

” It noted that in some countries queues of more than 50 people cannot be accepted and sales may need to be paused. It remained unclear how many of the approximately 200 people originally in line at the Topanga mall ultimately obtained a watch.