Less than 24 hours after its launch on Saturday (May 16), the new Audemars Piguet x Swatch Bioceramic Royal Pop collection is being resold online at exorbitant prices.
The pocket watches in the collaboration, which include eight designs in two styles, have retail prices of $535 and $570 in Swatch’s stores in Singapore.
AsiaOne’s checks found that the timepieces are being resold on Carousell at prices ranging from $700 to $5,000.
The listing with the highest price as of the time of writing is an Otg Roz with a pink strap, available for sale at $5,800.
Another reseller said he has all colours in the Royal Pop collection except yellow and green. He is selling each pocket watch at $5,500, adding that prices are negotiable.
One Carouseller, who listed the Otg Roz with a pink strap for $3,288, said the price is firm.
While the Royal Pop collection’s official launch began at 7am on Saturday, there were already snaking queues outside Swatch’s outlets at Ion Orchard, The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, and VivoCity.
Among the earliest in line at Ion Orchard was ITE College East student Aniqi Andel, who started lining up for the coveted pocket watches on Friday at around 1pm.
@asiaone Long queues across the region, not just in Singapore, on Saturday morning (May 16) for the highly-anticipated launch of the Audemars Piguet x Swatch Royal Pop collection. #sgnews #Singapore #Watch #Swatch #AudemarsPiguet
On Saturday morning, however, Swatch closed its VivoCity branch ahead of the launch, citing reasons such as the “overwhelming crowd”.
“This was a collective decision made together with the local authorities to ensure the health and safety of both our staff and customers,” said Swatch Singapore.
The Swiss watch brand also reminded buyers that the collection is not a limited-edition release, and said that it anticipates future drops.
Singapore wasn’t the only country where watch collectors went crazy over the drop.
According to Bloomberg, the shopping frenzy got so bad in Dubai that two shopping malls cancelled the launch, citing public safety considerations.
“We have decided not to proceed with the sale of the product at Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates, and the event has been cancelled. We appreciate your understanding and continued support,” Swatch said in an Instagram post.
🚨🚨SWATCH ROYAL POP🚨🚨
People fighting in MILAN over the new swatch drop pic.twitter.com/Z3wzdq8P6s
— Geist (@Geist254) May 16, 2026
Police officers had to fire tear gas to control a 300-strong crowd outside a Swatch outlet in Paris, while a fight broke out outside a Swatch store in Milan, AFP reported.
Similar announcements were also posted for Swatch’s stores in London, France, and Scotland.
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melissateo@asiaone.com
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