Luxury Swatch-Omega collaboration triggers global rush and tear gas deployment
The limited collection with Audemars Piguet leads to chaotic scenes in Europe and New York. A symptom of the global hunger for affordable luxury.
Vienna, May 17, 2026 – What was planned as an exclusive watch collaboration between Swiss mass watchmaker Swatch and luxury manufacturer Audemars Piguet ended in chaos in several major cities on Saturday. In Paris, police used tear gas to control the crowds in front of a store.
Hundreds camped for days for a watch
The „Royal Pop“ collection, an affordable version of Audemars Piguet's iconic Royal Oak, attracted buyers in droves. Long lines formed in several French cities days before the sales launch. Hundreds of people braved the overnight cold, some even for several days. Similar scenes played out in London, Milan, and New York. Police had to intervene in many places to maintain public order. In a suburb of Paris, the situation escalated to the point where officers resorted to tear gas.
Swatch Strategy: Luxury for the Masses
The collaboration follows the tried-and-tested MoonSwatch pattern, which triggered similar scenes in 2022. Swatch is once again democratizing a luxury product: while a genuine Royal Oak from Audemars Piguet costs between 20,000 and several hundred thousand euros depending on the model, the Swatch variant is likely to be in the three-digit range. For the Swatch Group, headquartered in Biel, this strategy means not only sales but also massive media attention. However, critics accuse the company of deliberately provoking chaos and fueling the hype through artificial scarcity.
Asian Markets in Focus
The watch industry has long been looking to Asia for such launches. China and Hong Kong are among the most important sales markets for Swiss watches. In 2025, Switzerland exported timepieces worth over 26 billion francs, with Asian countries accounting for a significant portion. The Swatch Group operates hundreds of points of sale in China and is relying on the growing middle class. Whether the Royal Pop will also cause a stir there at its sales launch remains to be seen. The Chinese market has recently become more cautious regarding luxury goods, while interest in affordable prestige products is increasing.
The Two Sides of Power
The events reveal two realities: On the one hand, Swatch fulfills a genuine need by making luxury designs accessible to a broader customer base. On the other hand, the deliberately limited supply raises questions. Is it responsible marketing or targeted provocation? Images of tear gas in front of watch stores do not sit well with the image of the noble Swiss watch industry. For Austria, where luxury watches also have a loyal customer base, the question arises whether similar scenes could also threaten the country if the next limited edition is sold in Vienna.
YANUS continues to observe the development.
Source: World – South China Morning Post | Original Article