The launch of limited-edition Swatch watches descended into chaos in several European cities and New York, with French police firing teargas to restore order at a store near Paris.
Hundreds of people waited through the night from Friday into Saturday – and in some cases for several days – hoping to buy the Royal Pop timepieces, made in collaboration with the luxury watchmaker Audemars Piguet.
In France, queues of hundreds of people formed overnight in several cities and a police source said officers had fired teargas 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. The police added the stores had underestimated the need for security.
A fight also broke out in front of a Swatch store in Milan at opening time on Saturday, according to footage broadcast by local media.
In the Netherlands, police had to intervene at a shopping centre near The Hague after hundreds flocked to the store.
The police said there had been a tense atmosphere and some quarrelling. When the store decided not to open, people had been sent home. Swatch stores in Amsterdam and Utrecht also remained closed. It is not clear when they will reopen.
On its website, the Westfield Mall of the Netherlands announced: “The introduction of Swatch in collaboration with Audemars Piguet will NOT go ahead. The store will remain closed this weekend.”
In New York, the opening of the Swatch store in Times Square saw pushing and shoving in the waiting crowd according to John McIntosh, who had been in the queue since Wednesday. “It was like a mosh pit,” he added.
Like many others, McIntosh said he had hoped to get his hands on the brightly coloured watch – sold in store for about $400 (£300) – to resell immediately at a huge mark-up.
Another buyer, who gave his name as Mac, said he had managed to get one after five days of queueing.
“It was pretty hectic … it’s nasty, but I was able to get in,” he said. “Retail for them is about $400 – I sold one just now for $4,000.”
Benny, 30, said he had decided to pay rather than to wait, and had spent $2,400 for one of the watches.
“It’s basically $2,000 over retail, but you can’t get an AP (Audemars Piguet) for less than $2,000, so I think it was a steal,” he said. “I’d rather pay a premium than come out and get it.”
Swatch was also forced to close its stores in London and six other UK cities for “safety considerations” after huge crowds gathered outside.
Swatch has declined to comment.