Swatch boss defends chaotic watch launch after safety fears
Swatch’s CEO has defended the launch of the Royal Pop pocket watch, which saw stores and malls overwhelmed by customers looking to buy the new watch.
Nick Hayek Jr told the BBC that some outlets were experiencing “overcrowding” 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 more months.
Mr Hayek suggested that the initial request should be viewed positively, saying: “Crowds at the start of the launch [a] The product should be something that is good news, not bad news.” Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, he noted that most authorities and shopping centers had cooperated from the beginning, which made operations in these places run more smoothly.
Mr Hayek ultimately described the launch as “extraordinary”, while acknowledging that “there may be some situations where there are tensions and everyone is doing their best, but sometimes you can’t control everything”.
The watch, which starts at £335 and is only available in brick-and-mortar stores, has caused significant queues. Police were called to St David’s 2 shopping center in Cardiff at 6.20am on Saturday morning after around 300 people tried to enter the Swatch store. A 25-year-old man from Pengam was arrested and given a dispersal notice to Section 35. Officers also attended the Trafford Center in Manchester, where Greater Manchester Police confirmed they “dispersed a large number of people”.
In response to these scenes, Swatch announced on Facebook on Saturday that many stores, including all locations in Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, Sheffield, Glasgow, Cardiff and London, would close for the day “in light of safety considerations for both our customers and staff.”
Later, the company released a statement: “To ensure the safety of both our customers and our staff in Swatch stores, we ask that you do not rush to our numerous stores to purchase this product.” The organization reiterated that “The Royal Pop Collection will be available for several months” and added that in some countries, queues exceeding 50 people cannot be accommodated and this could potentially lead to pauses in sales.
The new watch blends Swatch’s distinctive 1980s pop-art aesthetic with luxury watchmaker Audemars Piguet’s octagonal bezel design, offering it at a price much lower than Audemars Piguet’s typical four-figure sums. Swatch confirmed that only 20 of its 220 global stores were affected by the outage.
