‘It was like a mosh pit’: Swatch closes stores as watch launch causes crowding and scuffles

Paris police used teargas on Saturday and UK shops stayed shut on Sunday after rush for Royal Pop timepieces Swatch closed its stores in the UK and in some cities in Europe and the US at the weekend after the launch of a limited-edition watch caused chaos. Shoppers waited throughout the night, and in some cases for several days, hoping to buy the Royal Pop timepieces – made in collaboration with the luxury watchmaker Audemars Piguet – on Saturday. But police were called when huge crowds descended on stores in Manchester, Cardiff, Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester and Sheffield. A dispersal order was put in place in Birmingham, a 25-year-old man was arrested in Cardiff and issued with a Section 35 dispersal notice, and police dogs were deployed at the Battersea power station and Westfield shopping centres in London to tackle the chaos. Footage posted on social media appeared to show people forcing their way past security in Battersea, while a fight reportedly broke out at Manchester’s Trafford Centre. Swatch kept its Manchester and Liverpool stores closed for a second day on Sunday. “In light of safety considerations for both our customers and our staff, Manchester store wil