{"id":210935,"date":"2026-05-17T15:19:04","date_gmt":"2026-05-17T15:19:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/swatch-stores-shutter-amid-long-lines-for-highly-anticipated-collaboration-release-nbc-news\/"},"modified":"2026-05-17T15:19:04","modified_gmt":"2026-05-17T15:19:04","slug":"swatch-stores-shutter-amid-long-lines-for-highly-anticipated-collaboration-release-nbc-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/swatch-stores-shutter-amid-long-lines-for-highly-anticipated-collaboration-release-nbc-news\/","title":{"rendered":"Swatch stores shutter amid long lines for highly anticipated collaboration release – NBC News"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Chaos erupted at Swatch stores from New York to London as watch enthusiasts lined up for a highly anticipated new release \u2014 only for the massive crowds to force several locations to shut their doors.
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The Royal Pop Collection,<\/a> a collaboration between Audemars Piguet and Swatch, was released on Saturday, ranging in price from $400 to $420 a pop. But surging crowds prompted last-minute closures at multiple stores over safety concerns.
\u201cTo ensure the safety of both our customers and our staff in Swatch stores, we kindly ask you not to rush to our stores in large numbers to acquire this product,\u201d Swatch said<\/a> in a social media post Saturday. \u201cThe Royal Pop Collection will remain available for several months. In some countries, queues of more than 50 people cannot be accepted, and sales may need to be paused.\u201d
Swatch U.S. <\/a>described the launch as meeting \u201cextraordinarily high demand\u201d and said at least 19 stores in the U.S. were closed Saturday \u201cin accordance with security staff and local authorities to ensure a safe environment for everyone.\u201d Affected locations included the SoHo store in New York, the Houston Galleria, Lenox Square mall in Atlanta and the King of Prussia mall in Pennsylvania.
The company emphasized that the collection is not a limited edition.
Videos circulating on social media captured the scale of the frenzy. Footage from one video <\/a>at Westfield London showed more than 50 people gathered outside a Swatch store as an announcement over a loudspeaker declared: \u201cUnfortunately the Swatch store will remain closed for the entire day.\u201d
In Atlanta, another video<\/a> showed police blocking the entrance to Lenox Square mall while a long line of watch customers waited outside. \u201cThere are no more watches,\u201d one officer says. \u201cThey\u2019ll release some more. This is not a limited release.\u201d
At the Oakbrook Center mall near Chicago, police were filmed<\/a> parting the crowd to escort employees out of the store, with the entrance barricaded. According to the person who posted the video, that location had not received its shipment of the collaboration at all \u2014 a handwritten notice taped to the storefront confirmed the store would be closed for the day.
Marlene Lenthang is a breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital.
© 2026 NBCUniversal Media, LLC<\/p>\n

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