{"id":336,"date":"2026-05-18T14:34:36","date_gmt":"2026-05-18T14:34:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/charlotterelocationguide.com\/?p=336"},"modified":"2026-05-18T14:34:36","modified_gmt":"2026-05-18T14:34:36","slug":"huge-crowds-gathered-at-southpark-over-the-weekend-what-were-they-waiting-for","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/charlotterelocationguide.com\/?p=336","title":{"rendered":"Huge crowds gathered at SouthPark over the weekend. What were they waiting for?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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.<\/p>\n

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The unusually large turnout was tied to the release of the new Audemars Piguet x Swatch collaboration pocket watch<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n

TikTok user Olympia D. posted a video<\/u><\/a> showing crowds snaking around SouthPark over the weekend.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou see all these people?\u201d she asked in her video as she approached the mall\u2019s entrance off Sharon Road, showing the long lines. \u201cThe line is coming out of the door. Police are everywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMore people here than voting at the polls man,\u201d one person commented.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are at war,\u201d another wrote. \u201cGroceries are higher than they\u2019ve ever been and people are worried about a watch?\u201d<\/p>\n

Some Charlotte Reddit<\/u><\/a> users compared the frenzy to the release to previous Swatch<\/a> collaborations, while others accused resellers of fueling the hype. One commenter noted the watches were already appearing online for around $1,500 shortly after the launch.<\/p>\n

Swatch did not respond to CharlotteFive\u2019s request for comment on how many watches were sold by the time of publication.<\/p>\n

The collaboration, called the \u201cRoyal Pop\u201d collection, pairs luxury Swiss watchmaker Audemars Piguet<\/a> with Swatch, known for its more affordable plastic watches.<\/p>\n

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The release features colorful pocket watches inspired by Audemars Piguet\u2019s Royal Oak design and Swatch\u2019s \u201cPOP\u201d collection from the 1980s.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen joyful boldness and positive provocation meet fine watchmaking, the result is far more than a timepiece, it\u2019s a statement of creativity in the form of a watch,\u201d the Swatch website reads. \u201cAnd that statement takes shape in a collection that breaks the rules of watchmaking and disrupts the traditional way of wearing a watch.\u201d<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

The scenes in Charlotte mirrored crowds in cities around the world.<\/p>\n

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<\/u><\/a>. Some stores even delayed openings or temporarily closed<\/u><\/a> because of safety concerns tied to the overwhelming demand.<\/p>\n

After incidents around the world, Swatch posted a message to its customers on Facebook<\/u><\/a> promoting safety in its stores.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo 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,\u201d the post reads. \u201cThe Royal Pop Collection will remain available for several months.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Shoppers lined Sharon Road at SouthPark for the Swatch Royal Pop release, mirroring global scenes as stores called police and warned customers about safety.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":335,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-336","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-read-todays-edition"],"yoast_head":"\nHuge crowds gathered at SouthPark over the weekend. 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