Chaos in Carnaby Street as hundreds queue overnight to get must-have Omega X Swatch timepiece for £207 that is already selling for more than £3,000 on eBay
- Highly anticipated release of the MoonSwatch saw huge crowds and queues form at Swatch stores globally
- The watch is based on Omega's iconic Moonwatch but is much more affordable with a price tag of just £207
- London's Carnaby Street store was forced to close early after some attempted to jump the queue to get one
Chaos erupted outside Swatch in London's Carnaby Street after customers fought to get their hands on the highly-anticipated MoonSwatch.
The disorder broke out after it was reported that customers who had arrived late attempted to cut the queue and force their way in past those dedicated fans who had waited outside overnight.
The disruption meant Swatch was forced to close early citing unmanageable crowds which left some fans walking away empty handed despite waiting hours.
It comes as long lines began to form outside of Swatch branches in London, Edinburgh, Delhi, Melbourne, Rotterdam, Bologne and New York, to name a few, on Saturday as shoppers tried to get their hands on the new release from the Swiss watchmaker.
The frenzied shopping has been sparked by the release of the budget MoonSwatch - a long-awaited collaboration between Swatch and Omega.
The highly-anticipated timepiece went on sale this morning with a price tag of £207 but is already on eBay for more than £3,000.
The MoonSwatch is an affordable take on the famous collector's favourite Speedmaster Professional - also known as the Moonwatch because it was the first watch worn by an astronaut walking on the Moon during the Apollo 11 mission in 1969.
Customers congregate at the doors to the Swatch store on Carnaby Street, central London, in a bid to get their hands on the newly-released MoonSwatch - a highly anticipated collaboration between Omega and Swatch which went on sale today
People camped out overnight outside the Swatch store in Carnaby Street London, to ensure they got their new MoonSwatch
Reports surfaced of chaos erupting at the London branch after some customers tried to cut in front of those who had queued
Police and security staff were on site in London after customers tried to force their way into the shop to get the MoonSwatch
A crowd of shoppers were left disappointed when the Swatch store closed early due to the volume of customers in London
Pictured: Swatch in Carnaby Street, London, was forced to close their doors early after crowds got out of control
The iconic brands say they collaborated in a bid to deliver 'the best of both words' between luxury and affordability - with the MoonSwatch coming in at £207 while the original model will easily set you back £5,000.
The brands say they have drawn their design inspiration from space, to create a collection of eleven Swatch models named after planetary bodies, 'from the giant star at the centre of the solar system to the dwarf planet at its periphery'.
The watch features all the key design elements that the original Moonwatch has including the asymmetrical case, the famous tachymeter scale with the dot over ninety and the distinctive Speedmaster subdials.
The companies sent watch collectors into a frenzy on Thursday when they announced the design collaboration and queues formed outside selected branches across the world this morning as fans were desperate to get their hands on a piece.
Photos showed queues snaking through streets across the world while police officers were deployed to some branches to help manage the crowds.
The iconic brands say they collaborated in a bid to deliver 'the best of both words' between luxury and affordability
Pictured: The watches were released on sale this morning and are already selling for more than £3,000 on eBay
The new MoonSwatch was launched today and fans were queuing before shops opened their doors. Pictured: Dubai store
Customers formed queues and crowds in the Netherlands with both the Amsterdam (l) and Rotterdam (r) branches being busy
In New York City, the Swatch branch in Grand Central Station were prepared with barriers for the expected queues
Lines went all the way down the Rue du Cherche-Midi in Paris as Swatch collectors queued to get their new MoonSwatch
Queue with a view: Customers in Edinburgh at least had decent weather and a view of the city's castle while they waited
It wasn't just London's Carnaby Street branch that was busy today as the Oxford Street Swatch also saw huge crowds
The collaboration between Omega and Swatch has been highly anticipated and was officially released today. Pictured: Porto
In total, the companies have released 11 versions of the MoonSwatch. Pictured: Swatch fans queue in Bologna, Italy
Police were forced to help security and manage the growing crowd of customers (pictured: Chadstone in Australia)
Melbourne: queue snaked from the front of the store and continued hundreds of metres down one side of the shopping centre
The company said in a statement: 'Omega's Moonwatch is legendary and a must-have for collectors. Swatch's witty BIOCERAMIC MoonSwatch collection makes the iconic design accessible to fans everywhere.
'It's a down to earth take on the watch that went to the moon, which is a perfect representation of Swatch's joy of life and innovation philosophy.'
Speculation had been swirling for months of a collaboration between Swatch and Omega - before it was confirmed the MoonSwatch would be launched on March 26.
Each watch is based on a space theme and titled after a planet or moon - with all the names beginning with the word 'Mission'.
'Mission to Mars', 'Mission to Mercury' and 'Mission to Uranus' are among the different names.
The watches have been designed so the colours and layouts reflect the planets they are named after.
'The Swatches are perfect for budding Moonwatch fans, and I can't think of a more appropriate icon for our shared project,' said Raynald Aeschlimann, president and chief executive officer of Omega. 'We went to the moon; now we're exploring the whole Milky Way.'
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2022-03-26 13:44:54Z
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