Video: Crowd surges at Swatch stores trigger closures, evacuation in Leidschendam
Police and security evacuated several hundred people from the Mall of the Netherlands in Leidschendam on Saturday morning after large crowds gathered for the launch of a limited edition Swatch watch. Simultaneous disruptions in Amsterdam and Utrecht forced store closures and police removals as the release unraveled across the country, NOS reports.
In Amsterdam, crowds gathered in large numbers outside the Swatch store on PC Hooftstraat, with some reports estimating hundreds of people in line. According to Het Parool, tents were set up overnight as people tried to be first for the release of the “Royal Pop” collection, a collaboration between Swatch and Audemars Piguet.
The release features a pocket watch with a head that can be attached to various bands and case styles. It can be worn as a necklace, used as a desk clock, or attached to a bag as an accessory. The item sells for around 350 euros and is part of Swatch’s first collaboration with Swiss luxury brand Audemars Piguet, whose watches typically sell for tens of thousands of euros.
In Leidschendam, police and mall security removed a few hundred people from the shopping center after a long queue formed outside the Swatch store ahead of the planned sale. Officers said the situation became tense as the crowd filled the area near the shop.
A police spokesperson for The Hague region said, “There was a restless atmosphere and some arguments. When the store decided not to open anymore, we sent everyone outside.” The spokesperson added that the evacuation proceeded calmly and no arrests were made.
A notice posted on the store door read: “This store is closed this weekend. The promotion is canceled. The watches are no longer present in the store.” Security staff confirmed the store would remain closed for the rest of the day. Around 10:45 a.m., people were still standing outside, unaware the sale had been scrapped.
A security guard told NOS, “These people are standing here for nothing.” Photos from the scene showed large amounts of trash left behind by Swatch fans inside and around the shopping center.
The Amsterdam store closed at the last moment due to safety concerns. Police said the owner decided not to open and that officers used a loudspeaker to instruct people to leave.
“We announced via megaphone that everyone should leave. We hope they do so. We want to avoid having to clear the area,” a police spokesperson told AT5.
Authorities added that the store would remain closed for the rest of the day. The atmosphere in PC Hooftstraat had initially been calm on Friday evening but became increasingly chaotic as more people arrived. “It just kept filling up,” Domingo Zijlstra, 49, who had been waiting since early afternoon, told NOS. “There were also some strange types coming in.”
A 17-year-old in the queue said he saw the release as a quick profit opportunity. “There aren’t any jobs where I can make money this quickly,” he told NOS. “I just want to resell it as soon as possible. I think I could get around 10,000 euros for it, and the watch only costs 400—so do the math.”
In Utrecht, the Swatch store on Lange Elisabethstraat also remained closed without explanation despite an estimated 200 to 300 people gathering overnight. When the owner decided not to open the store, the police asked people to leave. Officers then escorted several groups, about 50 to 100 people, toward Utrecht Centraal station across Hoog Catharijne. No arrests were made.
Demand for the release also spread beyond the Netherlands, with social media reports showing similar crowds at Swatch stores in Germany, the United Kingdom, and Thailand.
