Explore the latest developments concerning Swatch stores close.
Swatch stores close for second day in Liverpool and Manchester
Swatch stores in Manchester and Liverpool were shut for a second day after queues built up again, with shoppers keen to buy a new £335 pocket watch.
They were first closed by the Swiss firm on Saturday "due to safety considerations", along with its shops in Birmingham, Sheffield, Glasgow, Cardiff and London.
In a social media post after crowds gathered at branches worldwide, Swatch asked people "not to rush to our stores in large numbers" and said the items – which have been resold online for up to £16,000 – would "remain available for several months".
Some have criticised the company, saying the watches should be available on its website and police resources had been unnecessarily diverted.
‘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 â made in collaboration with the luxury watchmaker Audemars Piguet â 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.
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Want an AP Royal Oak for $630? There’s a catch
It’s a new watch, and also a sign of the times: a $50,000 timepiece offered for $630.
For years, luxury watch brands have lifted their prices year-on-year, which delivered revenue growth until demand fell; sales of Swiss watches have dropped for two years in a row.
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