Chaos erupted outside NYC Swatch stores as cut-throat resellers and watch enthusiasts impatiently waited for a new release – causing the SoHo location to abruptly close amid the disastrous launch.
Hundreds of shoppers were seen swarming the stores in SoHo and Times Square Saturday morning, rounding out about a week of lengthy lines that saw the city’s sidewalks resembling tent encampments.
The frenzy is centered around the latest collaboration between Swatch and Audemars Piguet — a limited-edition, bioceramic pocket watch that merges Audemars Piguet’s iconic Royal Oak with Swatch’s vibrant POP line from the 1980s.
At the Time Square location, some buyers were let into the store well before the 10 a.m. scheduled opening time – and the coveted watches were sold out in an hour.
At the SoHo store, the crowd reportedly got so out of hand, the location had to close its doors.
The chaos comes days after someone overdosed while waiting for the weekend product release.