The launch of the Swatch x Audemars Piguet collection sparked massive crowds, leading to the closure of stores, including Houston’s Galleria, for safety reasons.
HOUSTON — The release of the highly anticipated Swatch x Audemars Piguet collaboration led to store closures Saturday, including at Houston’s Galleria mall, after massive crowds gathered for the launch.
Videos and posts shared on social media showed long lines, packed crowds, and confusion outside several Swatch locations around the world as customers waited for the release of the new “Royal Pop” collection, which Swatch clarified was not limited-edition.
In Houston, dozens of people appeared to line up outside the Galleria store days in advance, with crowds continuing to grow overnight and into the morning ahead of the release.
One Instagram post from Swatch announced that some locations would remain closed “due to public safety considerations,” with Houston listed among the affected stores.
The collection, a collaboration between Swatch and luxury Swiss watchmaker Audemars Piguet, generated significant hype online leading up to Saturday’s release.
It was not immediately clear whether the Houston Galleria location would reopen later Saturday or if additional releases would be scheduled.
Swatch has not publicly announced how many watches were available at each location.
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