The launch of an exclusive pocket watch has sparked a frenzy that forced stores worldwide to close and in some cases saw police officers and security deal with huge unruly crowds. The Royal Pop watch collection, a highly anticipated collaboration between Swatch and luxury brand Audemars Piguet (AP), went on sale on Saturday in selected stores around the world. Similar to past sales of its kind, some people queued for days to get their hands on one of the eight models. But the ferocity of interest in the product, both online and on the high street, has split opinions about responsible marketing and whether the watches are even worth it. Better known for its colourful watches from the 1980s, AP Swatch has described the Royal Pop collection as "a disruptive collaboration between two icons of Swiss watchmaking". While original sales of the collection were exclusively in selected stores - with people only able to buy one £335 (€385; $448) watch per person - they have been driven by an online campaign that has lasted months. The company has been criticised by some people, who say the watches should be available on its website and police resources had been unnecessarily diverted. While there have been reports of Royal Pop watches being resold for huge sums online, the UK watch business magazine WatchPro cautioned that some of these were fake.
BBQ - Is this unethical marketing from Swatch to drive so much hype?
