The collection’s cute planet designs, rare colors, and affordability made it a must-have for watch-lovers of various budgets, including and those who couldn’t have afforded an Omega in the past. The new styles were modeled after Omega’s original and made with BioCeramic, a concoction of two-thirds ceramic and one-third bio-based plastic made from castor plant seeds. Swatch’s London location was also forced to close just 30 minutes after it opened because of surmounting health and safety concerns.Īll this for a watch? - With a sub-$300 price, it’s understandable why there was so much buzz around the release.
Police officers arrived to bring order to more than 1,000 people waiting to enter a store in Singapore, and Watch Enthusiast compared the herds of people pushing and running to a “zombie movie.” The Straits Times reports that one person fainted because of overcrowding, and a lack of organization by untrained employees is being blamed for aggressive behavior by shoppers. Witnesses say most of the events started calmly enough, but many ended up out-of-hand without an organized line or system. One buyer even took a flight from Vegas to LA and waited 22 hours in line, according to Hodinkee. Some people were posted outside of the shops as early as 5:30 am to secure their purchase, and many stores ran out of stock by 10 am. The revelation that online sales would eventually follow also came late, and these factors combined to create an aura of exclusivity and an eventual frenzy. The company first said an in-store drop would be limited to two watches per person, but a later announcement dropped the limit to one. Scramble for the MoonSwatch - Swatch was vague in its original communication surrounding the release, and some store employees said they only received a 100-piece inventory.