The highly anticipated Audemars Piguet x Swatch “Royal Pop” collection has officially gone on sale online in the UAE, days after planned launch events at Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates were cancelled over safety concerns.
The collaboration between Swiss luxury watchmaker Audemars Piguet and Swatch has sparked massive demand globally, with long queues, resale speculation and social media buzz surrounding the release.
In the UAE, the watches are currently being sold through local e-commerce platforms, including Noon Minutes, where buyers can receive deliveries within minutes. Strong demand has also pushed resale prices sharply higher.
Although the official retail prices are estimated to range between Dhs1,100 and Dhs1,850, some UAE-based resellers are listing the watches online for as much as Dhs19,999 to Dhs25,000. On Noon Minutes, some models are selling for around Dhs12,500.
The launch of the eight rainbow-themed pocket watches had originally been scheduled for May 16 at Swatch stores in Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates. However, the events were cancelled shortly before the launch, disappointing thousands of fans, many of whom had queued overnight.
“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,” a social media notice from the brand stated.
Similar crowd-control problems and launch disruptions were also reported in cities including Mumbai, Delhi and several locations in the UK, underlining the scale of global demand for the collection.
The “Royal Pop” collection combines the iconic Royal Oak design of Audemars Piguet with Swatch’s retro POP watch concept from the 1980s. The collection includes eight colourful pocket watches featuring Swatch’s Swiss-made hand-wound SISTEM51 movement and is available in both Lépine and Savonnette styles.
Customers can also customise the watches with interchangeable lanyards priced at Dhs190 each. Some of the colour variants currently being circulated online include Green Eight, Blaue Acht, Otto Rosso, Oranji Hachi and Ocho Negro.
Industry observers say the soaring resale prices highlight the growing impact of hype culture in the luxury and streetwear market, where scarcity and viral attention can rapidly turn relatively affordable products into highly sought-after collector’s items.
The frenzy has drawn comparisons with the earlier Omega x Swatch MoonSwatch launch, which also triggered global queues and inflated resale prices. However, collectors believe the Audemars Piguet collaboration has generated even greater excitement because of the cult status of the Royal Oak among watch enthusiasts.
