Huge crowds gathered at SouthPark over the weekend. What were they waiting for?

Crowds wrapped around entrances at SouthPark on Saturday morning as hundreds of shoppers gathered outside the mall before stores opened for a highly anticipated release.

The unusually large turnout was tied to the release of the new Audemars Piguet x Swatch collaboration pocket watch.

TikTok user Olympia D. posted a video showing crowds snaking around SouthPark over the weekend.

“You see all these people?” she asked in her video as she approached the mall’s entrance off Sharon Road, showing the long lines. “The line is coming out of the door. Police are everywhere.”

“More people here than voting at the polls man,” one person commented.

“We are at war,” another wrote. “Groceries are higher than they’ve ever been and people are worried about a watch?”

Some Charlotte Reddit users compared the frenzy to the release to previous Swatch collaborations, while others accused resellers of fueling the hype. Watches were already appearing online for upwards of $7,000 shortly after the launch, according to eBay listings.

Swatch did not respond to CharlotteFive’s request for comment on how many watches were sold by the time of publication.

The watch

The collaboration, called the “Royal Pop” collection, pairs luxury Swiss watchmaker Audemars Piguet with Swatch, known for its more affordable plastic watches.

The release features colorful pocket watches inspired by Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak design and Swatch’s “POP” collection from the 1980s.

“When joyful boldness and positive provocation meet fine watchmaking, the result is far more than a timepiece, it’s a statement of creativity in the form of a watch,” the Swatch website reads. “And that statement takes shape in a collection that breaks the rules of watchmaking and disrupts the traditional way of wearing a watch.”

The watches retail for roughly $400 to $420, far below the price of a traditional Audemars Piguet watch, which can cost tens of thousands of dollars.

Swatch crowds around the world

The scenes in Charlotte mirrored crowds in cities around the world.

Some Swatch locations in cities including London, Milan and New York saw such heavy turnout that police officers were called in to help manage crowds, Reuters reported. Some stores even delayed openings or temporarily closed because of safety concerns tied to the overwhelming demand.

After incidents around the world, Swatch posted a message to its customers on Facebook promoting safety in its stores.

“To ensure the safety of both our customers and our staff in Swatch stores, we kindly ask you not to rush to our stores in large numbers to acquire this product,” the post reads. “The Royal Pop Collection will remain available for several months.”

This story was originally published May 18, 2026 at 9:25 AM.

Evan Moore

The Charlotte Observer

Evan Moore is a service journalism reporter for the Charlotte Observer. He grew up in Denver, North Carolina, where he previously worked as a reporter for the Denver Citizen, and is a UNC Charlotte graduate.