Massive Queue in Barcelona for Limited Swatch and Audemars Piguet Collection. Hundreds of people blocked the entrance to the Swatch store in central Barcelona for a chance to buy the limited Royal Pop watches. Police had to intervene to prevent incidents. The sales also caused a stir in other countries.
On Saturday morning, an unusual scene unfolded on the Paseo de Gràcia in Barcelona: about 300 people lined up outside the Swatch store to purchase the limited edition Royal Pop watches, created in collaboration with Audemars Piguet. The crowd of buyers was so large that the store could not open its doors—Mossos d’Esquadra officers and Guardia Urbana patrols arrived on site to maintain order.
The frenzy was sparked by a limited series of pocket watches inspired by Audemars Piguet's iconic Royal Oak model. The new item costs around 400 euros, while the original Swiss brand model sells for about 20,000 euros. According to EFE, interest in the collection is also fueled by the fact that the resale price may quadruple on the secondary market.
Police reported that some shoppers had been waiting in line outside the store for several days before sales began, including overnight. On the day of the collection launch, the situation got out of control: to prevent crowding and possible incidents, three ARRO special unit vans and additional city police patrols were dispatched to the store. Swatch management decided not to open the Paseo de Gràcia store for safety reasons.
A similar situation occurred at another Swatch store in the Illa Diagonal shopping center: after opening, the influx of shoppers forced staff to temporarily close the entrance. Comparable lines and excitement were seen at Swatch stores worldwide—from Tokyo to New York—confirming the global interest in the joint collection of the two Swiss brands.
In an official announcement on Instagram, Swatch unveiled eight unique Royal Pop models, created in the spirit of Pop Art and equipped with an updated SISTEM51 manual-winding movement. The collection went on sale on May 16 exclusively in select stores, which further fueled interest among collectors and resellers.
Massive lines and technical glitches during the launch of new collections or ticket sales are not uncommon in Spain. For example, a large-scale refund recently occurred in Zaragoza due to technical issues during the sale of Espacio Zity season passes, when the platform could not handle the surge in demand, as detailed in the report on the ticket sales failure at Fiestas del Pilar.
For reference: Swatch is one of the world’s largest watch manufacturers, known for its affordable prices and vibrant collaborations. Audemars Piguet is a Swiss luxury brand with a history of more than 150 years. Such joint projects often become the subject of speculation on the secondary market and spark hype among collectors. In Spain, interest in limited editions is traditionally strong, especially when it comes to accessible alternatives to iconic models.
