A highly coveted pocketwatch from a collaboration between Swatch and luxury watch manufacturer Audemars Piguet caused chaos at Domain Northside in Austin on Saturday. The "Royal Pop" timepiece, a result of the partnership, dropped on Saturday, drawing crowds to the Swatch store. The launch was eventually canceled after Austin Police Department dispersed crowds. Videos posted online showed hundreds of people, blocked by a line of police officers, standing in front of the store with several police cars with lights and sirens on. Some of the watch fans lined up booed the officers. Similar scenes were reported at Swatch stores worldwide.
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Swatch Release Canceled in Austin Amid Police Response
A Swatch watch drop in Austin, Texas was canceled after police dispersed large crowds gathered for the release of the 'Royal Pop' timepiece.
Published May 16, 2026 at 7:49pm by Faith Bugenhagen
