LONDON – Violent scenes erupted across Britain, Europe and the US over the weekend after the launch of Swatch’s latest limited-edition watch – sparking overnight queues, mass crowd surges and police interventions.
Thousands of desperate shoppers camped outside stores for days in the hope of securing one of the £335 ‘Royal Pop’ watches – a collaboration between Swatch and luxury brand Audemars Piguet.
Worn by the likes of rap royalty Jay Z, Drake and Travis Scott, AP watches cost anywhere from £25 000 to £150 000 – making this far cheaper option the only chance many people will ever get to own a timepiece by the iconic watchmaker.
However, the frenzy quickly descended into chaos, with fights breaking out, police dog units deployed and stores forced to shut their doors after crowds overwhelmed security staff.
In Britain, disturbances were reported in London, Cardiff, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Sheffield as fans scrambled to get their hands on the colourful timepieces, which are already being resold online for thousands of pounds.
Footage shared on social media appeared to show crowds barging past security barriers outside the Swatch store at Battersea Power Station in London shortly before opening time on Saturday morning.
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