Luxury Watch Drop Draws Crowds Camping Outside New York Swatch Store

A handheld video filmed by X user Rohit Thawani shows people already camping on the sidewalk outside the Swatch SoHo store on Tuesday, May 12, 2026.

The footage was recorded four days before the scheduled release of the Audemars Piguet x Swatch “Royal Pop” limited-edition drop set for Saturday.

The camera pans along a blocked-off section of the street, showing rows of people seated in colorful folding camping chairs in red, blue, and green. Some sit on the pavement with backpacks and personal belongings scattered around them as they prepare for a long wait.

The area is secured with yellow caution tape and orange traffic barrels in front of the Swatch store, located between Longines and Longchamp storefronts. Bicycles are parked along the curb as a white Kia SUV passes in the foreground. Shoppers and passersby move through the scene while those in line talk, use phones, and remain settled in place.

The post accompanying the video notes it is Tuesday and the product will not go on sale until Saturday, yet people are already camping outside the store in New York City.

The footage highlights strong anticipation for the Audemars Piguet x Swatch “Royal Pop” release, with similar queues appearing at Swatch locations worldwide ahead of limited drops, as collectors and resellers spend multiple nights waiting to secure the items.