Swatch x Audemars Piguet launch sparks crowd trouble outside shops: What happened?

Police were called to shops in the UK and Europe at the weekend as crowd trouble broke out over the launch of a new watch.

Saturday saw the release of Royal Pop, the first collaboration between Swatch and Audemars Piguet (AP), the latter a Swiss luxury brand founded in 1875.

It marks a fusion of the two watchmakers' designs, retailing for thousands cheaper than AP's usual offerings. But photos and videos online show crowds of hundreds outside Swatch stores across the world.

Swatch told Sky News that "the organisation of some shopping malls was not sufficient to handle this level of turnout".

So what happened? How did police respond? And why the furore over this collaboration?

What happened?

The Royal Pop collection was launched on Saturday at selected stores. Purchases were limited to one watch per person, per day, and per store.

Ahead of Saturday's opening, videos online showed crowds queuing overnight outside Swatch stores across Europe.

In several locations, hundreds of people were present outside the branches on Saturday morning, with police called to help manage crowds.

Videos from Battersea Power Station in London were illustrative: Police were as what appeared to be hundreds waited outside the Swatch store there.

It proved too busy in several areas: Swatch said in an online post early on Saturday that "in light of safety considerations for both our customers and our staff", stores in Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, Sheffield, Glasgow and Cardiff would be closed for the day, along with all of the London stores.

Some of the ships stayed closed on Sunday. Large crowds were also reported elsewhere in Europe, in locations including Cannes, France, and Geneva, Switzerland.

A fight broke out outside a Swatch store in Milan, Italy.

What have the police said?

South Wales Police said a 25-year-old was arrested at St David's shopping centre on Saturday during the launch of the limited edition watch.

The force added that officers were called over reports of approximately 300 people trying to enter the centre at around 6.20pm.

And the Trafford Centre in Manchester saw heavy crowds on Saturday. Greater Manchester Police said officers were called shortly before 6am "following reports of a disturbance".

The force said: "Officers attended and alongside security staff dispersed a large number of people who were inside the centre. No arrests have been made."

Swatch said the Manchester store would remain closed on Sunday "in light of safety considerations".

What's this all about?

The Royal Pop collection is the first collaboration between Swatch and Audemars Piguet, with the pop art-influenced pieces retailing for around £335.

By contrast, most watches from AP retail for at least £12,000 on second-hand markets. Prices for its Royal Oak line, part of the influence for the collaboration, start at around £30,000 new.

However, according to the reseller market Chrono24, the Royal Pop watches are already reselling for more than £1,500. Some speculated on social media that the watches could go for as much as £4,000.

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The watches are not a limited edition item, which could dent resellers' hopes for a profit.

In a statement on Instagram, Swatch said: "To ensure the safety of both our customers and our staff in Swatch stores, we kindly ask you not to rush to our stores in large numbers to acquire this product.

"The Royal Pop Collection will remain available for several months. In some countries, queues of more than 50 people cannot be accepted, and sales may need to be paused."

In a further statement to Sky News, Swatch added: "The response to the Royal Pop Collection has been phenomenal worldwide, and demand is extremely high.

"In around 20 Swatch stores out of a total of 220 stores globally where the Royal Pop was launched, challenges arose on launch day because the queues of interested customers were exceptionally long, and the organisation of some shopping malls was not sufficient to handle this level of turnout."

The brand cited the 2022 launch of its collaboration with Omega, Moonswatch, which also saw large crowds gather.

It added: "As with the MoonSwatch, the situation has now normalised somewhat after the launch day, especially after we communicated once again that the Royal Pop Collection will be available for several months."

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