Swatch–Audemars Piguet watch sold for €35 at thrift store after chaotic Dutch launch
A Swatch and Audemars Piguet "Royal Pop” collaboration watch that triggered chaotic scenes during its mid-May release was later sold for 35 euros at a thrift store in Koudekerk aan den Rijn, Omroep West reports. After multiple incidents at the stores after the release, Swatch pulled the collaboration out of the Netherlands. All the watches from all stores in the Netherlands were sent back to Swatch headquarters due to "safety concerns."
The watch originally retailed for about 400 euros. The nationwide release led to crowd surges at multiple locations in May. At the Westfield Mall of the Netherlands in Leidschendam, police and security evacuated several hundred people from the shopping center.
In Amsterdam, large crowds gathered outside the Swatch store on PC Hooftstraat, with some reports estimating hundreds of people in line. According to Het Parool, customers set up tents overnight. NOS reported that similar disruptions in Amsterdam and Utrecht led to store closures and police removals.
In the secondary market, the watches from the collection have reportedly been listed for no less than 600 euros. It was later sold at Kringloop aan den Rijn for 35 euros after being unknowingly priced and placed among donated items.
The watch arrived through a house clearance. Store owner Henk Sneijder told Omroep West that the shop was not aware of the item’s market value or its status as a highly sought-after release. After later learning of its resale value, he described the sale as “not our best deal.”
Sneijder said the store does not track brands or market trends and focuses on pricing items for quick resale. Therefore, he said that selling the watch for its higher market value would not have been appropriate for the shop’s model.
