Long queues at Ion Orchard and MBS ahead of Audemars Piguet x Swatch Royal Pop launch
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The queue (left) for the Audemars Piguet x Swatch release near Bayfront MRT Station at 8pm on May 15.
ST PHOTOS: ARIFFIN JAMAR
Felicia Keok
SINGAPORE – By the evening of May 15, long holding queues had already formed at Ion Orchard and The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands – a day before the official launch of the new Audemars Piguet x Swatch Bioceramic Royal Pop Collection at Swatch stores located at both shopping malls.
When The Straits Times visited Ion Orchard at around 6pm, dozens had already gathered outside Bacha Coffee on Level 1 – the designated holding area for the launch queue – with foldable chairs, portable chargers, snacks and blankets as they settled in for an overnight wait.
The collection, which merges Swiss luxury watchmaker Audemars Piguet’s iconic Royal Oak design codes with Swiss brand Swatch’s colourful 1980s Pop line, comprises eight brightly coloured Bioceramic pocket watches fitted with lanyards. It is prices from $535 to $570.
While official queueing for the May 16 launch only begins at 7am, the early birds at Ion Orchard had already been given unofficial queue numbers.
ST understands that a buyer in the queue distributed these numbers, written on slips of paper, hoping to create a more orderly queueing system.
The queue for the Audemars Piguet X Swatch outside Ion Orchard at 6.15pm on May 15.
ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR
One woman showed ST hers – 118 – while others said the sequence would later determine the order in which official queue numbers are issued the next morning.
Among the earliest in line was ITE College East student Aniqi Adel, who arrived at Ion Orchard at around 1pm on May 15 and was second in the unofficial queue.
Mr Aniqi, 18, joked that his survival strategy was “100PLUS till the morning”, alongside “blood, sweat and tears”.
The collection, which merges Swiss luxury watchmaker Audemars Piguet’s iconic Royal Oak design codes with Swiss brand Swatch’s colourful 1980s Pop line, comprises eight brightly coloured Bioceramic pocket watches fitted with lanyards. It is priced from $535 to $570.
ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR
Although he admitted he had not fully decided which model he wanted to purchase, he described the collection as “very niche” and a form of “subtle luxury”, adding that he was drawn to the idea of owning “something valuable”.
Nearby, Republic Polytechnic graduate Lim Jun Yu, 20, had been camping at the site since 4.30pm and was 68th in line by evening.
He said a scuffle broke out between two groups around the time he arrived at Ion Orchard, which led to the unofficial queue numbers being distributed.
“There was a big argument going on. It looked like a disagreement between the groups about establishing queueing rules. Then this guy started giving out unofficial queue numbers and he signed the back of each piece of paper as proof that it’s real,” he said.
Unofficial queue number slips made by one of the crowd to prevent disputes later on, at ION Orchard on May 15.
ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR
While Mr Lim acknowledged there was a possibility of reselling the watches, he said the queue itself was part of the attraction – comparing the atmosphere to the frenzy surrounding Taylor Swift concert tickets in 2023.
“The only reason I’m here is really just for the experience - this is more of a ‘want’ than a necessity,” he said, adding that he and his friends planned to collectively spend a “low four-digit” sum.
Mr Lim, who had packed books, snacks and his phone, said enduring the long hours and unpredictable weather was simply “part of the process”.
At around 6.40pm, mall security personnel arrived to disperse the crowd at Ion Orchard.
Over at The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, the holding queue at Bayfront MRT station’s Exit B appeared even longer by around 7.30pm – stretching from one end of the exit to the other.
Unlike the informal arrangement at Ion Orchard, barricades had already been set up, with hundreds queueing in an orderly line.
Among those was 23-year-old Skye Tian, who joined the queue at around 5pm with several acquaintances.
And how does he plan to endure the night? “Not drinking too much water,” he said with a laugh, explaining that he wanted to avoid frequent bathroom trips.
Mr Tian, who is enrolling into Singapore University of Social Sciences later in 2026, said he intends to purchase the white model as a birthday gift for his sister.
At around 9pm, Mr Aniqi observed two lines slowly forming outside Bacha Coffee - one following the unofficial queue numbers, and another that was not.
“I think there may be a few disagreements but so far it seems like the majority wants to follow this unofficial queueing system,” he said.
By 10pm, Mr Lim added the lines were beginning to converge outside Ion Orchard.
“Now it’s just true chaos, where nobody is even following anything. People are just pushing their way to the front and slowly inching closer to the entrance,” he said.
Additional reporting by Sarah Stanley
The Audemars Piguet x Swatch Bioceramic Royal Pop Collection launches on May 16, 10am at the Ion Orchard, The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands and VivoCity Swatch stores, with purchases limited to one watch per person per store each day.
