Scuffles in France, Italy and beyond as Swatch sale descends into chaos

"Hundreds of people waited through the night -- and in some cases for several days -- hoping to get their hands on the "Royal Pop" timepieces, made in collaboration with luxury watchmaker Audemars Piguet. In France, lines of hundreds of people formed through the night in several cities, and a police source said officers fired tear gas to control a 300-strong crowd outside a Swatch shop in the Paris region."

"A metal shutter and two security gates were damaged in the incident, and police said the stores had underestimated the need for security. Things also turned ugly in Milan, where a fight broke out in front of a Swatch store at opening time on Saturday, according to footage broadcast by local media."

"In the Netherlands, police had to intervene at a mall near The Hague after hundreds of people flocked to the store. According to the police, "there was a tense atmosphere and some quarrelling". When the store decided not to open after all, people were sent home. Swatch stores in Amsterdam and Utrecht also kept their doors closed."

"In New York, the opening of the Swatch store in Times Square was met with "pushing and shoving" in the waiting crowd, John McIntosh, who had been in line since Wednesday, told AFP. "It was like a mosh pit," the 44-year-old said. "People who got here last night have gone to the front, people who cut this morning, whoever cheats and pushes the hardest hits to front.""

Limited-edition Swatch “Royal Pop” watches made in collaboration with Audemars Piguet led to disorder during store openings in multiple cities. Hundreds of people waited overnight or for several days to buy the watches. In France, police fired tear gas to control a crowd outside a Swatch shop near Paris, damaging a metal shutter and security gates. Police said stores underestimated security needs. Similar incidents occurred in Milan, where a fight broke out, and in the Netherlands, where police intervened at a mall near The Hague after hundreds gathered. When stores did not open, people were sent home and some locations stayed closed. In New York, the Times Square opening involved pushing and shoving in the line.

Read at The Local France