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Swatch shuts UK stores over Royal Pop watch chaos

5/16/2026

28 4 Full Breakdown

Summary

Swatch Closes

Swatch closed all UK stores on 16 May 2026 because safety concerns arose from massive queues for the Royal Pop watch.
The Royal Pop line, a Swatch-Audemars Piguet partnership, includes eight pocket-watch models at £335 each, limited to one per customer per day.
Queues at Metrocentre, Bullring and other sites led to two-day camping, resale prices up to £16,000, and police arrests, including a 25-year-old in Cardiff.

Summary

Swatch Locks Stores

Swatch closed at least 17 U.S. stores on May 16, 2026, citing public-safety concerns, and its Royal Pop pocket-watch costs $400-$420 each.
Troy Police Sergeant John Julian said officers arrived at 4:30 a.m. and requested mutual aid.
Troy Police Department cited two individuals who refused to leave after repeated warnings.
Mall security repeatedly warned the crowd to disperse and announced that anyone remaining would be charged with trespassing.

Summary

Swatch Shares Surge

Swatch Group shares jumped over 16 percent to a two-year high, then fell about 7 percent after the AGM.
The “Royal Pop” tie-up with Audemars Piguet extends hype from the 2022 Moonswatch collaboration.
Swatch limited sales to boutiques with a one-per-person-per-day rule, prompting CEO Nick Hayek to say resale is unavoidable.
Activist investor Steven Wood’s board-seat bid added further stock volatility during the launch.

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Swatch Closes

Swatch closed all UK stores on 16 May 2026 because safety concerns arose from massive queues for the Royal Pop watch.
The Royal Pop line, a Swatch-Audemars Piguet partnership, includes eight pocket-watch models at £335 each, limited to one per customer per day.
Queues at Metrocentre, Bullring and other sites led to two-day camping, resale prices up to £16,000, and police arrests, including a 25-year-old in Cardiff.

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