Why the $400 Royal Pop Caused Chaos

Added: 2026-06-02

[00:00:02]Those chaotic scenes unfolded outside a Swatch store in Milan, and they were far from unique. Shoppers shoving, camping out, losing sleep, all for a watch.

[00:00:15]Specifically, an unlikely mash-up between mass-market Swiss maker Swatch and its rarefied cousin Audemars Piguet.

[00:00:24]That luxury house's iconic Royal Oak normally starts at around $30,000 and climbs well into the hundreds of thousands. So, when it unveiled a $400 version with Swatch, a pocket watch called the Royal Pop, fans didn't just want one. They were willing to camp outside stores for one.

[00:00:46]>> I queued there for like 2 days out here in the tent.

[00:00:49]>> Apparently, it's limited limited stock where it's going to be um valuable.

[00:00:57]>> From London to New York, fans felt the same.

[00:01:00]>> You can't get it even get an AP movement for less than $2,000, so I think it was a steal.

[00:01:05]>> Hundreds descended on stores across Europe, the Middle East, and the United States to the point that Swatch was forced to close several locations over safety fears. That left some collectors empty-handed. Swatch pulled the plug on in-store launches in Mumbai, Dubai, and Singapore entirely with no rescheduled date yet. For the lucky few who got one, resale prices surged to five times retail within hours. Whether that holds remains to be seen.

[00:01:37]June Wei Sum, CGTN, Washington.