Queues outside watch stores have once again become a global phenomenon following the launch of a new collaboration between Swatch and Audemars Piguet. In Lisbon, hundreds of people gathered at Centro Colombo to try to buy a model that costs around 400 euros, but which quickly began to appear on resale markets for much higher prices.
According to the newspaper, the collection is called Royal Pop and was born from the collaboration between two brands with completely different positions in the watch market. While Swatch sells millions of watches a year, Audemars Piguet maintains limited production and lives off the exclusivity associated with its most sought-after models.
A watch that’s not really a watch
The Royal Pop recovers elements from the Royal Oak, one of Audemars Piguet’s best-known models, created by Gérald Genta in 1972. According to the same source, the new product maintains details, such as the octagonal bezel, the hexagonal screws and the characteristic pattern of the dial.
Still, the main surprise is in the chosen format. Instead of a traditional wristwatch, brands chose to launch colorful bioceramic pocket watches, also inspired by the Swatch Pop launched in the 80s.
Detail that is fueling demand
The unconventional format ended up transforming the product into an object that was difficult to categorize. According to the same newspaper, the Royal Pop is closer to a decorative accessory or a luxury trinket than a classic watch.
The models can be worn around the neck, attached to bags or carried in a pocket. This combination of fashion accessory, collectible object and product linked to digital culture is cited as one of the reasons for the strong demand recorded in recent days.
Resale soars on the first day
Demand was not limited to physical stores. According to the same source, a few hours after the launch, online resale ads began to appear with prices close to two thousand euros, around five times the original price.
In Portugal, models cost between 380 and 400 euros, depending on the version chosen. Even so, the available units quickly sold out in several stores, including in Lisbon.
Queues and police intervention in several countries
The launch also ended up being marked by moments of tension in different cities. The newspaper writes that some Swatch stores in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands even had to temporarily close for safety reasons.
In France, police used tear gas to disperse a crowd near a store near Paris. In New York, there was jostling and confusion during the opening of the brand’s store in Times Square.
Swatch’s strategy is no longer new
This wasn’t the first time Swatch had generated a similar phenomenon. According to the same publication, the brand had already achieved identical queues with the MoonSwatch, launched in partnership with Omega in 2022.
Later also came a collaboration with Blancpain. The difference now is that Audemars Piguet remains independent, unlike the other brands involved in previous projects linked to the Swatch Group.
Luxury tries to reach new generations
The partnership is seen as an attempt to bring the world of luxury watchmaking closer to younger consumers accustomed to the culture of social media. The CEO of Audemars Piguet, Ilaria Resta, admitted that the objective is also to make the brand closer to a different audience.
According to Expresso, the person responsible stated that the collaboration aims to invite “younger generations to experience mechanical watchmaking in a different way”. In another statement, he added that the brand seeks to leverage Swatch’s scale to reach more consumers.
Theory that started on social media
In recent days, a theory related to the origin of the collaboration has also begun to circulate. According to the same source, some users associate the launch with legal defeats suffered by Audemars Piguet in lawsuits related to the design of the Royal Oak. In 2024, a Japanese court refused to recognize exclusive protection for the model’s design. In 2025, a North American entity reached a similar conclusion, considering that some elements of the watch were very common in the watchmaking industry.
Despite speculation, there is no official confirmation that these processes are directly linked to the launch of Royal Pop. Even so, the theory spread quickly across social media and helped to increase interest around the collection. Between queues, resales and viral videos on TikTok and Instagram, Royal Pop ended up becoming one of the most talked about launches of the year, at a time when luxury is trying to adapt to a new logic of consumption increasingly linked to digital culture.
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