AP x Swatch Royal Pop Launch Cancelled:The launch of the highly anticipated AP x Swatch “Royal Pop” collection descended into chaos across several major cities worldwide, with viral videos showing massive crowds, pushing, screaming and store shutdowns as watch enthusiasts rushed to buy the limited-edition collaboration. The rollout quickly became one of the most chaotic luxury watch launches in recent years, drawing comparisons with sneaker drops and previous MoonSwatch frenzy scenes.
What Is The AP x Swatch ‘Royal Pop’ Collection?
The “Royal Pop” collection is a collaboration between Swiss luxury watchmaker Audemars Piguet and Swatch. Officially unveiled earlier this week, the collection combines Audemars Piguet’s iconic Royal Oak-inspired design language with Swatch’s retro POP aesthetic from the 1980s.
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Unlike rumours suggesting a budget Royal Oak wristwatch, the collection actually features colourful Bioceramic pocket watches powered by a hand-wound Sistem51 movement. The watches launched globally on May 16 with a retail price starting around $400.
AP x Swatch Royal Pop Launch Cancelled
What began as a hyped luxury launch soon spiralled into disorder in cities including Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai, Dubai, London, New York and Houston. Videos shared online showed customers pushing through barricades, shouting at security staff and crowding outside Swatch stores for hours.
According to reports, some buyers camped outside stores overnight while others queued for several days hoping to secure one of the limited pieces. In many cases, stores either sold out rapidly or never opened due to safety concerns.
‘We Are Not Animals’
One of the most widely shared moments came from angry customers caught in crushing crowds. WatchPro reported frustrated buyers shouting, “We are not animals,” as security struggled to manage the situation.
Social media users criticised the event’s organisation, alleging poor crowd control and lack of communication from stores. Several posts also claimed that resellers and scalpers dominated queues, with watches appearing online for resale at prices many times above retail shortly after launch.
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Dubai Mall Launch Cancelled
One of the biggest disruptions occurred in Dubai, where the launch was reportedly cancelled entirely because of safety fears linked to overwhelming crowds. Similar shutdowns occurred in parts of the UK and the United States after crowd situations intensified.
In some locations, police were deployed to control crowds, while reports from Europe mentioned incidents of fighting and aggressive behaviour among buyers.
Swatch Issues Safety Advisory
Following the viral backlash, Swatch issued a public message asking fans not to rush stores in large numbers. The company stated that the Royal Pop collection would remain available for several months and warned that sales could be paused in places where queues exceeded safe limits.
“In light of safety considerations for both our customers and our staff, the timing of our launch sale at Palladium Mall, Mumbai and DLF Avenue, Delhi has been advanced. Given the level of demand, extended queuing would not have changed the chances of securing a piece,” Swtach India said in a statement.
The brand also reiterated that purchases are limited to one watch per person, per day and per store.
