Chaotic scenes as crowds besiege shop at Cardiff shopping centre
Nation.Cymru staff
A shop at Wales’ largest shopping centre had to be closed today and police called in when huge crowds mobbed the store in attempt to get their hands on a limited edition watch.
Police were called in and their were chaotic scenes ay St David’s Cardiff as officers attempted to control the crowds who were desperate to get their hands on the new Royal Pop watch – a collaboration between Swatch and Audemars Piguet.
There were frantic scenes with videos showing huge crowds gathering at the entrance of the shopping centre in the Welsh capital ahead of the store opening at 9.30am as they attempted to their hands on the prized watch which was only available in-store and had a limit of one watch per person per day.
The watch which retails at £335 was already selling for up to four times that price on auction sites.
However, in repeated scenes at Swatch stores globally it quickly became apparent the at the huge crowds posed a security risk with police having to be called at sites around the UK and internationally resulting in the stores closing.
Announcing the closure of the Cardiff store on Instagram, Swatch UK wrote: ‘In light of safety considerations for both our customers and our staff, Cardiff store will be closed for the day. Thank you for your understanding.’
A sign on the store front read: ‘AP/Royal Pop sold out and unavailable. Store closed until further notice. Please leave the centre peacefully.’
Specialist watch website Watch Pro has reported on the scenes of pandemonium at Swatch stores globally.
In a report the site stated: “It started in New Zealand and Australia and spread from east to west.
“Launch after launch of the Royal Pop descending into farce, disappointment and, in several cases, violence.
“Before daylight had reached the United States, reports were rolling in from Singapore, Dubai, Barcelona and London that the unveiling had become a risk to everybody’s safety, not least terrified teams in Swatch’s own stores.”
Swatch describes the watch on its website writing: “This collection merges the avant‑garde design of Audemars Piguet’s iconic Royal Oak and the modular ingenuity of Swatch’s vibrant POP line from the 1980s, resulting in eight, statement-making pocket watches designed for endless creative styling.
“At the core of each watch is a brand-new hand-wound version of our signature SISTEM51 movement finished with a dash of Pop Art energy. And to top it off, each model comes in one of two unique styles: Lépine or Savonnette.”
Swatch has yet to issue an official statement on the scenes in Cardiff and internationally today.
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