The chief executive of Swatch has defended the launch of the Royal Pop pocket watch, which saw stores and shopping centres overwhelmed by customers eager to purchase the new timepiece.
Nick Hayek Jr told the BBC that some outlets experienced "overcrowding like hell" for the watch, but stressed that the company had "clearly communicated that this is not a one-day event" and that production would continue for several months.
Mr Hayek suggested that initial demand should be viewed positively, stating: "Having crowds at the beginning of the launch of [a] product should not be bad news, it should be something that is good news." Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, he noted that most authorities and shopping centres had cooperated from the outset, leading to smoother operations in those locations.
While acknowledging that "there can be certain situations that are tense and everybody did their best, but sometimes you cannot control everything," Mr Hayek ultimately described the launch as "extraordinary."
The watch, priced from £335 and exclusively available in physical stores, sparked significant queues. Police were called to St David’s 2 shopping centre in Cardiff on Saturday morning after approximately 300 people attempted to enter a Swatch store at 6.20am. A 25-year-old man from Pengam was arrested and issued with a Section 35 dispersal notice. Officers also attended the Trafford Centre in Manchester, where Greater Manchester Police confirmed they "dispersed a large number of people."
In response to the scenes, Swatch announced on Facebook on Saturday that several stores, including those in Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, Sheffield, Glasgow, Cardiff, and all London locations, would close for the day "in light of safety considerations for both our customers and our staff."
Later, the company posted a plea: "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." It reiterated that "The Royal Pop Collection will remain available for several months," adding that in some countries, queues exceeding 50 people could not be accommodated, potentially leading to sales pauses.
The new watch blends Swatch’s distinctive 1980s pop-art aesthetic with the octagonal bezel design of luxury watchmaker Audemars Piguet, offering it at a price significantly lower than Audemars Piguet’s typical four-figure sums. Swatch confirmed that only 20 of its 220 global stores were affected by the disruption.
