The watch world is in absolute chaos, and history is repeating itself in the wildest way.
Swatch boutiques across the globe were supposed to celebrate the official launch of the highly anticipated Audemars Piguet and Swatch Royal Pop pocket watch collaboration, but things quickly got completely out of hand. Instead of a smooth release, doors were slammed shut, launches were cancelled, and thousands of empty handed collectors and resellers were left stranded on the sidewalks.
From London to Dubai, local authorities and Swatch management were forced to pull the plug on the unnumbered release due to overwhelming, aggressive crowds that completely compromised public safety. The panic quickly stretched across the Atlantic to the US, where twenty one retail locations, including major hubs in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, and Chicago, prepared for the drop. In New York, massive crowds swamped the Times Square and SoHo storefronts, while similar scenes played out at the King of Prussia mall in Pennsylvania and the Galleria in Houston, forcing security teams and mall management to scramble to prevent complete shutdowns.
Ever since the partnership was teased, the internet has been in a state of absolute meltdown.
Even though there was plenty of debate when the official announcement revealed that the Royal Pop was a bioceramic modular pocket watch on a lanyard, rather than a traditional wristwatch mimicking the legendary AP Royal Oak, the hype didn’t slow down. Because Swatch strictly mandated an in store only release, hopeful buyers began camping out days in advance. By the early hours of the launch, those orderly lines transformed into an uncontrollable sea of people.
The madness kicked off on a rolling basis as time zones woke up. In the UK, tents lined the streets of major hubs like Manchester, Birmingham, and Liverpool. Outside the Liverpool store, local police were called early in the morning following reports of a group of males acting aggressively and making threats. Swatch staff explicitly told the crowd that the doors would remain closed and nothing would be sold. By midday, London branches followed suit.
The scenes were mirrored across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Thousands swarmed the Swatch boutiques inside the Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates, leading to an immediate, total cancellation of the event.
Authorities in New Delhi and Mumbai pulled the plug on openings due to zero crowd control, while videos circulating on social media showed frustrated crowds crammed together. Outlets in Singapore and French boutiques in Lyon, Lille, and Deauville were similarly shuttered for the day, while riot police had to step in to manage crowds in Barcelona.
With scuffles breaking out globally and crowds crushing against mall barricades, Swatch took to its regional social media channels to issue a swift statement explaining the cancellations. “In view of public safety considerations, we have decided not to proceed with the sale of the product at Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates, and the event has been cancelled.”
Similar notices were rolled out for disrupted locations globally, echoing the sentiment that the brand could not proceed in light of safety considerations for both their customers and staff.
As it stands, neither Swatch nor Audemars Piguet has commented on when or if these cancelled store drops will be rescheduled, or if the launch strategy will shift to a lottery or online format to prevent further issues.
For now, the only place to reliably find a Royal Pop is on the secondary market, where pre sale listings and immediate flips are already tracking at more than three times the retail price.
Audemars Piguet X Swatch Launch in Dubai Just Got Cancelled at Two Malls Over ‘Safety Considerations’ pic.twitter.com/iIUVRzN38l
— Smashi (@smashibusiness) May 16, 2026
Swatch x AP in Times Square line is getting cancelled 😂😂😂😂😂 they saying the drop is cancelled but folks not moving. pic.twitter.com/VU94Qs3QcH
— 7% (or better) 🇯🇲 (@gregNEVERchills) May 16, 2026
Swatch-AP collab in Aventura (Miami) canceled due to 2000 person stampede. Swatch Fail! pic.twitter.com/g2h7n89BCK
— Jeff Ostrow (@JeffMilesOstrow) May 16, 2026
JUST IN: Swatch shut down some of the FCFS locations for the Audemars Piguet x Swatch “Royal Pop” Collection that was supposed to drop today ☠️⌚️🤦♂️ @Swatch pic.twitter.com/CTwiFHa0wW
— KicksFinder (@KicksFinder) May 16, 2026
A bunch of Swatch boutiques stayed closed and cancelled the Audemars Piguet Royal Pop launch.
Lines out of control at boutiques around the world (see Dubai, Milan, Tokyo below).
Swatch official accounts posted its “not a limited edition” so that people can chill out. Wild. https://t.co/AzWBDVTPXe pic.twitter.com/bnRSTz2YjY
— Trung Phan (@TrungTPhan) May 16, 2026
