‘It was like a mosh pit’: Swatch closes stores as watch launch causes crowding and scuffles

The launch of limited-edition Swatch watches, a collaboration with Audemars Piguet, caused significant disorder in several European cities and New York. Hundreds of people queued for days to purchase the "Royal Pop" timepieces, leading to crowding and scuffles. In France, police used teargas to control a large crowd outside a Paris-area store, where security gates were damaged. Several Swatch stores in the Netherlands remained closed due to the large crowds and tense atmosphere, with police intervening near The Hague. In New York, pushing and shoving occurred in the queue. Swatch stores in London and other UK cities also closed for safety reasons. Many buyers aimed to resell the watches for a substantial profit, with some reselling for up to $4,000.

The launch of limited edition "Royal Pop" Swatch watches, a collaboration with Audemars Piguet, caused widespread chaos on Saturday in cities including Paris, Milan, and New York. Hundreds of eager buyers queued for days, with some instances of pushing and shoving occurring. In the Paris region, French police deployed tear gas to manage a crowd of approximately 300 people outside a Swatch store. The demand for these limited timepieces led to significant disorder in multiple locations.