Scuffles, Tear Gas And Shutdowns: Chaos Marks Limited Edition Swatch Sale Worldwide

Last Updated:May 16, 2026, 23:18 IST

Videos on social media showed hundreds of people waiting through the night, and several days in some cities, hoping to get their hands on the "Royal Pop" watches.

The launch of limited edition Audemars Piguet X Swatch watches in several European cities and New York, descended into chaos, primarily due to massive crowds at stores in cities. The launch saw massive crowds, cancelled openings and frustrated buyers across the world.

Videos on social media showed hundreds of people waiting through the night, and several days in some cities, hoping to get their hands on the “Royal Pop" timepieces, made in collaboration with luxury watchmaker Audemars Piguet.

Huge crowds gathered outside stores in Bengaluru, Mumbai and Delhi, with people climbing over barricades to buy the affordable watches. In several cities, police had to be deployed at overcrowded stores to manage the situation.

Police Fire Tear Gas In Paris

In France, lines of hundreds of people formed through the night in several cities, and a police source said officers fired tear gas to control a 300-strong crowd outside a Swatch shop in Paris. A metal shutter and two security gates were damaged in the incident.

Things also turned ugly in Milan, where a fight broke out in front of a Swatch store at opening time on Saturday, according to footage broadcast by local media. Officials were seen attempting to bring the situation under control.

A viral clip from Mumbai showed frustrated customers packed tightly together amid pushing and shouting. “We are not animals; the store is not opening today," one man was heard saying in the video.

In New York, the opening of the Swatch store in Times Square was met with “pushing and shoving" in the waiting crowd. “People who got here last night have gone to the front, people who cut this morning, whoever cheats and pushes the hardest hits to front," John McIntosh, who had been in line since Wednesday, told AFP.

Stores Shut In Several Areas

Swatch was forced to close its stores in London and six other UK cities for “safety considerations" after huge crowds gathered outside. The watch company was also forced to cancel launches in Orlando and Pennsylvania.

“Some of our stores had to be closed in accordance with our security staff and local authorities to ensure a safe environment for everyone," the company said in a statement.

In Dubai, huge crowds reportedly started gathering outside a mall as early as 6:45 am. The situation became so overwhelming that the launch event was eventually cancelled altogether, as per reports.

(with inputs from agencies)

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