People queuing for the Swatch X Audemars Piguet Royal Pop watches release at Mid Valley Megamall in Kuala Lumpur on May 16, 2026. — Picture by Yusof Isa (New users only) It's tax relief season! Get up to RM300 when you save with Versa! Plus, enjoy an additional FREE RM10 when you sign up using code VERSAMM10 with a min. cash-in of RM100 today. T&Cs apply. By Muhammad Yusry Saturday, 16 May 2026 2:07 PM MYT KUALA LUMPUR, May 16 — By the time the sun rose over Mid Valley Megamall this morning, Ayu Omar and her daughter Allesya had already spent nearly 10 hours waiting for a watch from the new Audemars Piguet x Swatch “Royal Pop” collection.The 46-year-old administrator from Banting, Selangor arrived at the mall at around 9.30 last night, armed with little more than a camping chair and her daughter’s laptop, which Allesya used to complete an assignment while sitting on the chair outside the Swatch boutique.The pair were among dozens who camped overnight for the worldwide launch of the collection, a collaboration that drew crowds long before the mall’s doors officially opened at 10am.Overnight queue for limited drop“Firstly, I like Swatch. Secondly, it’s because of the collaboration with AP,” Ayu said when approached while seated cross-legged near the North Court entrance.“AP is a huge name in the watch industry, so when they combined Swatch with AP, I felt it was really worth getting, especially at quite an affordable price.”Like many others in line, Ayu’s night was repeatedly interrupted by confusion over crowd control.At first, customers queued inside the mall before being instructed to leave. They later waited outside through the night before being allowed back in around 7.30am, three people at a time.By 8.15am, the queue had already snaked several metres, ending just before the centre court.Limited stock, rising tensionThen came the announcement that shattered Ayu’s hopes.At around 9.15am, a Swatch staff member informed the crowd that only a limited number of watches were available.Although the “Royal Pop” collection was not officially a numbered limited edition, there would not be enough units for everyone in line today.The mood shifted almost immediately.Those seated on the floor scrambled to the front to check their chances, while others remained frozen in place, staring towards the boutique entrance.Only around 70 people appeared to remain within the estimated cut-off point.Ayu was not one of them.After lingering for a while longer, she quietly gave up and left. Ayu Omar, 46 (centre, wearing hijab) after the announcement of the store will sell limited number of units on May 16, 2026. — Picture by Yusof Isa “I’ve liked Swatch since school,” she said earlier, estimating she had followed the brand for more than 20 years.“But when you’re a collector, even if you can’t wear it on your wrist, that’s okay. You still want it as part of your collection because it’s very different.”RM50 runners fuel resale scrambleThe frenzy surrounding the release also revealed a parallel economy quietly operating within the queue itself.One man, who declined to be named, admitted he and his friends had hired 14 “runners” to queue on their behalf, paying each person RM50.Most of the runners were easily identifiable by their attire – black T-shirts, jeans and slippers – with many appearing uninterested in the watches themselves.The man refused to disclose how much his customers paid for the service, though checks by Malay Mail on social media platforms such as Threads found queueing services advertising prices ranging from RM600 to over RM1,000 above the retail price of the watch.“When there’s a willing buyer, there’s a willing seller,” the man said.Malay Mail also observed several people passing around debit and credit cards to other people waiting in line after exiting the store with their purchases. Swatch X Audemars Piguet Royal Pop watches model release displayed in presentation case at Mid Valley Megamall in Kuala Lumpur on May 16, 2026. — Picture by Yusof Isa Swatch stores are enforcing a one-watch-per-person, per-store, policy for the release, though some customers questioned whether the restrictions were enough to deter scalpers.‘Just here for the hype’Among them was Ammanjit Singh, a 39-year-old banker from Sri Gombak, who just walked out of the store after purchasing the watch, carrying bags of crisps inside a carry-on bag after spending the night outside the mall.“I work a nine-to-five job. I haven’t slept since yesterday,” he said.Ammanjit readily admitted he is not a hardcore collector and was there largely for the atmosphere.“I’m just here for the hype. My friend is the real, proper watch enthusiast,” he said.Still, even Ammanjit noticed how organised some of the resellers appeared to be.“I do feel bad for people who genuinely wanted the watch, but these scalpers, there’s not much you can do. They queued up too,” he said.“For instance, you can see people sharing credit cards. Rather than saying one person, one watch per store, maybe they should say one credit card per store.” Ammanjit Singh, 39 (left) poses for pictures with his friend after buying the Swatch X Audemars Piguet Royal Pop watches at Mid Valley Megamall in Kuala Lumpur on May 16, 2026. — Picture by Yusof Isa At one point during the morning, auxiliary police officers began checking customers’ identification cards to verify their ages, with those below 18 turned away from the queue.Some teenagers protested and refused to move, with one arguing loudly that the policy was unfair before a staff member snapped back: “I said no!”Despite the tension, many still did not leave even after learning they were unlikely to secure a watch.The Audemars Piguet x Swatch “Royal Pop” collection officially launched worldwide today after days of speculation, fake leaked images and online hype.Although Swatch has confirmed the watches will receive rolling restocks similar to the MoonSwatch collaboration with Omega, that did little to discourage those hoping to secure one on launch day.