Swatch 'Royal Pop' collaboration with Audemars Piguet causes chaos at US retailers

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- There was chaos early Saturday morning at the Westfield Valley Fair shopping mall in Santa Clara.

A huge crowd showed up at the Swatch store for the highly anticipated "Royal Pop" collaboration with Audemars Piguet.

But, like others around the country, people went home empty-handed.

This was calm compared to what we have seen elsewhere.

Police were called in, sometimes by the dozens, to handle the crowds.

The Royal Pop Collection, a collaboration between Swatch and luxury watch brand Audemars Piguet, features pocket watches that cost around $400 and apparently are being resold online for over $1,000.

Pennsylvania

Much like what happened at a mall in Pennsylvania.

A large crowd gathered before dawn Saturday at the King of Prussia Mall, prompting a heavy police response and delaying the mall's opening for two hours after hundreds of people attempted to enter the building ahead of a highly anticipated Swatch product release.

Police said dozens of officers were initially dispatched when the crowd waiting for the new "Royal Pop" pocket watch -- a collaboration between Swatch and luxury brand Audemars Piguet -- grew defiant. The mall remained closed until noon, though the Swatch store will stay closed through the weekend.

Long lines formed as early as 4 a.m., with resellers and collectors hoping to secure the watch.

"If we got it, it was about $400 dollars. It's going for about $3,000 on the market right now," said Keith Henry. "That's why everyone was out there. That's why they were acting crazy."

New York

We caught another incident at a mall in Garden City which is on Long Island in New York.

Video shows the pushing and shoving going on and police appear to be trying to control the huge crowd and spray something.

Just like other locations around the country, this Swatch store never opened Saturday.

Illinois

Hundreds lined up Saturday morning at a Chicago-area mall for a Swatch and Audemars Piguet Royal Pop Collection pocket watch, causing the store to decide to close for the day, police said.

A large number of police vehicles could be seen at the Oak Brook Center Mall Saturday.

"People were lining up for a new watch release. However, Swatch has made the decision that they will not open today at the Oak Brook location," Oak Brook police told ABC7.

A large crowd could be seen waiting outside the store early Saturday.

It was not yet clear when the Oak Brook Swatch store would reopen.

Swatch posted a message on its website asking people not to mob stores because the Royal Pop Collection is going to be available for several months.

WPVI-TV, WABC-TV and WLS-TV contributed to this report.