business
Swatch Stores Close in Two UK Cities After Shoppers Queue for New Watch
Swatch stores in Manchester and Liverpool closed for a second day as crowds gathered to buy a new pocket watch. The company asked customers not to form large groups at stores and said the watches would remain available for months.
May 17, 10:35 AM·1m read1 source
The BbcAudio version
Tap play to generate a narrated version.
Developing·Limited corroboration so far. This page will refresh as more sources emerge.
Swatch stores in Manchester and Liverpool closed for a second day after queues formed again for a new pocket watch priced at £335. The company posted on social media that it had received reports of crowds at branches worldwide and asked people not to rush to stores in large numbers. It stated the watches would remain available for several months.
Swatch launched the "Royal Pop" pocket watch in collaboration with Audemars Piguet at selected stores worldwide on Saturday. The firm described the collection as inspired by the Pop Art movement of the 1950s and 1960s. The watches combine the design of Audemars Piguet's Royal Oak with Swatch's colorful Pop brand from the 1980s.
One man was arrested in Cardiff.
Police responded to reports of people making threats outside the Liverpool store. An event was cancelled in Dubai. Police were called to launches in France and Switzerland. In New York, shoppers camped for a week in Times Square, with reports of some becoming unwell during the wait.
Some customers criticised the launch management, saying the watches should have been available on the Swatch website and that police resources had been diverted.
