Foto Krisztián Elek/SOPA Images/Shutterstock
Global agitation and police intervention
We are talking about the Royal Pop collection of pocket watches – a bright series of bioceramics in “candy” shades, inspired by the iconic Royal Oak models from Audemars Piguet and the affordable Swatch Pop line, writes The Guardian. The collection was formally unveiled on May 12, but it was the start of sales that sparked explosive demand that quickly spiraled out of control.
At Swatch stores from early morning began to gather queues, and in some cities – even the night before. In New York, shoppers tried to storm boutiques in Times Square and Soho, while on Long Island, police used pepper spray to contain crowds at Roosevelt Field Mall, according to eyewitnesses. In France, security forces used tear gas after about 300 people surrounded a Swatch store in Paris. There were reports of arrests and localized clashes in queues.
Secondary market and speculation effect
Amid the crush and the closure of outlets, Swatch was forced to publicly address customers via social media, urging them not to build up crowds and reminding them that the collection was not strictly limited edition and would be available for several months. However, this information appeared already after the peak excitement and did not stop the wave of resales.
Almost immediately after the start of sales the watches began to appear on the secondary market. Models, initially costing about 400-420 dollars, on resale platforms were offered at a price of up to 6000 dollars. Such dynamics expectedly fueled the interest of speculators and collectors, making the launch even more intense.
In the professional environment, the reaction was mixed. Some experts believe that such “mass collaborations” dilute the premium image of Audemars Piguet and undermine the long-term value of the brand. Others, on the contrary, call the strategy effective: access to iconic designs broadens the audience and may eventually increase interest in the original models.
Questions to the “high-profile releases” model
The Swatch brand itself has already experimented with similar formats, including a high-profile project with Omega, which, according to analysts, only strengthened demand for the basic Speedmaster collection. Now the market is watching whether this effect will be repeated in the case of Royal Oak.
However, the main issue after Saturday’s chaos is not prices or resales, but the mechanics of the launch itself. Mass queues, lack of information and instant speculation have again shown that a modern “hype release” can easily go beyond marketing and become a real risk factor in the urban space.
