Audemars Piguet x Swatch Royal Pop Dubai release called off in Dubai Mall and Mall Of The Emirates over public safety concerns

Dubai: The highly anticipated Royal Pop launch — a collaboration between luxury watchmaker Audemars Piguet and Swatch — scheduled for May 19 in Dubai, has been cancelled due to public 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," said a post on Swatch's regional Instagram account.

No new date of the launch has been revealed.

Meanwhile, social media activity surrounding this much-anticipated Swatch and AP collaboration shows chaotic scenes at the malls. Serpentine queues and surging crowd videos are now doing the rounds on TikTok and Instagram reels.

Many watch enthusiasts and collectors took to their social media to express their disappointment at the last-minute cancellation.

"An absolute disappointment. The hype was predictable, yet there was no proper co-ordination and no real-time updates and very poor crowd management," said a social media user who had turned up for the launch.

Collaborations with luxury watch brands have become a global craze in recent years. Following the huge success of Swatch and Omega collaboration, the brand’s limited-edition drops — including its Blancpain collection — have attracted huge demand from collectors, fashion enthusiasts, Gen Z buyers, and resellers.

This new AP and Swatch drop was one of the anticipated launches of the year.

The launches have often resembled sneaker drops rather than traditional watch releases, with fans queuing for hours, and sometimes overnight, to secure a piece.

Several launches globally have also sparked criticism online over safety concerns, crowd control issues, and long waiting times.

Neither Audemars Piguet nor Swatch has commented publicly on whether the Dubai launch will be rescheduled or shifted to another format.

Collectors and fans in the UAE are now waiting for further updates.