Denver Police Clear Cherry Creek Mall in Swatch $400 Watch Launch Chaos

3 articles · Updated · The Denver Post · May 17

Denver police responded to a disturbance at Cherry Creek Shopping Center around 7:35 a.m. Saturday, cleared the mall and made no arrests after crowds surged for Swatch’s new Royal Pop watches.
Swatch said “extraordinarily high demand” forced some stores to close with security staff and local authorities involved; a sign posted Sunday indicated the Denver store would remain closed.
The eight-watch Bioceramic Royal Pop collection, created with Audemars Piguet, launched globally Saturday at $400 to $420, and Swatch said it is not limited-edition and will stay available for months.
The rush spread well beyond Denver: Swatch shut dozens of stores globally, police reportedly used pepper spray at New York’s Roosevelt Field Mall, and at least one person was arrested.
Hundreds of the watches were listed on resale sites for thousands of dollars by Sunday, underscoring how a mass-market launch tied to a luxury brand fueled the scramble.

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