00:00Watch lovers around the world were driven into a frenzy this week when Swatch announced
00:03a partnership with luxury watchmaker Audemars Piguet. This tag team between the moderately
00:08priced Swiss brand and one of the most coveted watchmakers on the market sent collectors and
00:12resellers to wait outside of Swatch stores days before the product even went on sale. Unfortunately,
00:18they'll have to wait a bit longer because so many people showed up for the release that in Times
00:22Square, the NYPD dispersed a crowd of hundreds before the store could even open. Swatch boutiques
00:27cancelled sales of the watch as chaos reigned outside their doors. The new watch collection is
00:31called the Royal Pop. It's a spin on the very popular Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Line and the
00:36iconic Swatch Pop series of watches with one key difference. The Royal Pop isn't a wristwatch,
00:42it's a pocket watch. It's sold with a lanyard that turns it into a necklace and the brands also suggest
00:47using it as a desk clock or a bag charm. It's not being sold with any watch straps at all.
00:52But don't
00:52worry, there's already a race to create the perfect wrist strap to go with the new bright designs.
00:56The Royal Pop comes in eight coloring combinations and two variations, one for $400 and the other for
01:02$420. The accompanying lanyard can be purchased for an additional $45. Avid collectors, and some
01:08people who just want to buy the watch and flip it for profit, started setting up chairs outside the
01:11Swatch store in Times Square on Tuesday. It's all very reminiscent of another successful Swatch
01:16collaboration from 2022, the Moon Swatch, a colorful spin on the Speedmaster Moon watch which is made by
01:22another Swatch brand, Omega. That watch came out in a series of drops, which sold more than a million
01:27units in a year, with estimated revenue for the project surpassing a billion dollars. Some collectors
01:32say the partnership may devalue Audemars Piguet's luxury status. Internet memes ahead of the launch
01:36criticized the high-end brand, claiming it risks cheapening its appeal and pushing away wealthy existing
01:41customers. But experts say the partnership could be good for both brands, as it would show that the
01:46Audemars Piguet Royal Oak is now part of popular culture.
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