Swatch and Audemars Piguet face backlash after predictable Royal Pop launch chaos
Police intervention, store closures, and scalping marred the debut of the limited-edition pocket watch, raising questions about operational planning and duty of care.
The launch of the Swatch x Audemars Piguet Royal Pop pocket watch on 16 May descended into widespread disorder across multiple global markets, prompting police deployments and immediate store closures. Incidents ranged from fights and arrests in Miami to the use of tear gas in Paris and pepper spray in New York. The chaos mirrored the 2022 MoonSwatch launch, leading experts to argue that the current unrest was entirely predictable and avoidable given the previous year’s events.
Stores in Singapore, Dubai, New Delhi, Mumbai, London, Birmingham, Miami, Houston, and Chicago were forced to shut or pause sales due to safety concerns. In London’s Carnaby Street, the store lasted only half an hour before police were called, while in New York, reports of a stabbing in the queue escalated tensions. Scalpers quickly flipped the limited stock, with watches appearing on eBay for thousands of dollars within minutes of sales opening.
Swatch Group CEO Nick Hayek Jr. previously defended the 2022 launch by claiming the chaos was unpredictable. However, critics point out that the 2022 event provided a clear blueprint of the risks. Despite this, Swatch repeated its rollout strategy for the Royal Pop, leading to scenes of brawling in Milan, a mosh pit in the Netherlands, and clashes in Dusseldorf. Swatch issued a statement 17 hours after the first store openings, asking customers not to rush to stores and noting that queues of more than 50 people would not be accepted.
In response to criticism, Swatch’s communications team blamed shopping mall security for issues in approximately 20 of its 220 global stores, despite incidents occurring at standalone locations as well. The company highlighted millions of website clicks and 11 billion social media views to frame the launch as successful, admitting the events were similar to the first day of the MoonSwatch launch. Audemars Piguet stated that Swatch manages retail operations and prioritised safety, deferring operational comments to the Swatch Group.
Experts such as Kate Hardcastle and Neil Saunders criticised both brands for relying on scarcity without adequate crowd control measures. Hardcastle noted that once a brand has experienced crowd surges, the obligation shifts to proactively engineering a safer customer experience. Saunders suggested that digital ticketing, staggered collection windows, and pre-drops online could have mitigated the volatility. Both experts emphasised that while scarcity drives demand, it must be balanced with robust operational infrastructure to ensure duty of care.
