Royal Pop Frenzy: Mumbai and Delhi join Dubai in cancelling Audemars Piguet x Swatch launch over crowd concerns

Mumbai and Delhi have now joined the list of cities cancelling opening events and changing release timings for the much-hyped collaboration between Swiss luxury watchmaker Audemars Piguet and trendy watch brand Swatch after scenes of global chaos and frenzy erupted at launches worldwide.

Earlier launches in Dubai saw massive crowds and overcrowding, while Bengaluru in South India too witnessed huge queues, with fans surging ahead and people almost falling over themselves in a bid to grab the limited-edition watches.

"In light of safety considerations for both our customers and our staff, the timing of our launch sale has been advanced. Given the level of demand, extended queuing would not have changed the chances of securing a piece," said Swatch India on their Instagram page.

Earlier today, the Dubai launch, scheduled for Saturday, May 16, at Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates, was also scrapped after massive crowds gathered outside Swatch outlets in the early hours of the morning, triggering safety concerns.

“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,” Swatch said in a statement posted on its regional Instagram account.

No revised launch dates have been announced for Dubai, Mumbai, or Delhi.

The Royal Pop collection has sparked a global frenzy among watch collectors, fashion enthusiasts, Gen Z buyers, and resellers, with scenes resembling sneaker drops rather than traditional luxury watch launches.

Videos circulating on TikTok and Instagram showed serpentine queues, overnight campers, and chaotic scenes in cities including Dubai, Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, New York, Toronto, and Bangkok.

In Dubai, hundreds had reportedly gathered outside stores as early as 6:45am.

Rishi Navani, who queued for hours between Mall of the Emirates and Dubai Mall, described the situation as “absolute chaos.”

“It’s good that they cancelled the launch as public safety comes first. I am all for waiting and getting my hands on it in a safe way,” he said.

Many Royal Pop Watch hopefuls criticised what they called poor crowd management and a lack of real-time communication.

“An absolute disappointment. The hype was predictable, yet there was no proper coordination, no real-time updates, and very poor crowd management,” one social media user wrote.

Luxury collaborations involving Swatch have previously generated intense demand globally. Earlier tie-ups with Omega and Blancpain also saw long queues and overnight camping outside stores worldwide.

Neither Audemars Piguet nor Swatch has commented publicly on whether the Royal Pop launches will be rescheduled or moved to a raffle-based or digital release format.