Remarkable admission by Swatch ref Moonswatch

[OldHooky]

"We have been made aware that resellers have recently been causing issues for our London stores, especially Oxford Street, and are working hard to come up with creative ways to deal with them with as little disruption to the running of the stores as possible.
This can sometimes mean allowing them to purchase so that 'genuine' customers can then be served in peace.
Security have also been noting who has queued early on, and then making sure that these people are served, which will mean taking them from the queue (looking as if they are jumping the line when they are not).
Both stores have successfully sold several hundred Bioceramic MoonSwatch watches to non (known!) resellers in the past couple of weeks, and we're working on a move that should help alleviate the traffic to our Oxford Street Boutique and allow us to sell these more equitably.

As I'm sure you're aware, the watches are not limited and will be around for some time to come - Swiss HQ are working around the clock to increase production which we hope will lead to better availability."

[markrlondon]

Thanks for that. Do you have the source?


This being Watch Talk, I cannot respond in the verbally forthright manner that I would wish to.

Yes, it's good that they are taking note of the situation. I'm glad that they are taking action. But dealing with the resellers by directly and explicitly assisting the resellers beggars belief!

Yes, assisting and encouraging them is certainly "creative", isn't it!

Well, this, "we're working on a move that should help alleviate the traffic to our Oxford Street Boutique and allow us to sell these more equitably" had better be some form of magic and it had better arrive soon. Because knowingly and actively encouraging resellers would seem to be fundamentally compounding the problem. It's a quick get out that benefits Swatch and their apparent friends, the resellers, and no one else.

[notnowkato]

Seems remarkable, indeed. I have been to the Covent Garden and Oxford Street stores to take a look and maybe purchase, if available, but, after several visits have decided I don't really want one now, just stick with my 2 Professionals .

[OldHooky]

- - - Updated - - -

Thanks for that. Do you have the source?

By email from Swatch.

[Neil.C]

Directly and explicitly assisting the resellers.

Unbelievable!

However at the end of the day Swatch just want to sell their product and don't care who buys it, especially as the resellers are causing a feeding frenzy among people who are FOMO.

[Christian]

"Resellers causing issues"...reads to me like there is some intimidation and queue jumping still going on. Swatch don't want a brawl so they are doing two things...pulling out people they see have been jumped and serving the queue jumpers to get rid of them to avoid trouble. Path of least resistance. Unfair but who said life is fair....in London, nobody really bats an eyelid at many crimes let alone queue jumping for a plastic watch.

[markrlondon]

By email from Swatch.

Many thanks.

A remarkably candid email!

[markrlondon]

"Resellers causing issues"...reads to me like there is some intimidation and queue jumping still going on. Swatch don't want a brawl so they are doing two things...pulling out people they see have been jumped and serving the queue jumpers to get rid of them to avoid trouble. Path of least resistance.

And, as such, it is also directly condoning and encouraging crime, not merely condoning and encouraging reselling (which is annoying but not a crime).

in London, nobody really bats an eyelid at many crimes let alone queue jumping for a plastic watch.

(a) Many, many Londoners are seriously concerned with crime and lacklustre efforts to combat it, and especially with major corporations supporting and encouraging it (even when as part of a claimed strategy to combat it).

(b) The intimidation aspect is far from merely queue jumping.

[Tetlee]

Maybe they should start a waiting list registration that can only be fast tracked by building a special relation by purchasing a few lesser wanted flikflak watches.

[markrlondon]

Maybe they should start a waiting list registration that can only be fast tracked by building a special relation by purchasing a few lesser wanted flikflak watches.

<chortle>

[jukeboxs]

I'm assuming they read Google reviews then, including mine - the past week's contributions have been consistently scathing.

[Ruggertech]

Swatch don't want a brawl so they are doing two things...pulling out people they see have been jumped and serving the queue jumpers to get rid of them to avoid trouble.

I dont read it as that at all.
To me "Security have also been noting who has queued early on, and then making sure that these people are served, which will mean taking them from the queue (looking as if they are jumping the line when they are not)" means staff are checking who were there early and pulling them out and serving them, leaving the queue jumpers waiting. Okay yes, many of these early queuers maybe resellers, but there is no law against it and they were there first.

[J J Carter]

TL;DR "Kick off to get your Moonswatch"

[Christian]

(a) Many, many Londoners are seriously concerned with crime and lacklustre efforts to combat it, and especially with major corporations supporting and encouraging it (even when as part of a claimed strategy to combat it).

(b) The intimidation aspect is far from merely queue jumping.

Perhaps I phrased it wrong. What I meant by that was the met police don’t bat an eyelid at crime unless it is life threatening. Robbery and theft don’t get a look in, so why would they be bothered about intimidating behaviour in a queue for a plastic watch. Security aren’t going to step in either…why risk getting involved in a brawl that ends up on youtube and a subsequent enquiry into heavy handedness. It’s lose-lose for Swatch. Easier to give them what they want and sell them the watch to get rid of the problem.

[Christian]

I dont read it as that at all.
To me "Security have also been noting who has queued early on, and then making sure that these people are served, which will mean taking them from the queue (looking as if they are jumping the line when they are not)" means staff are checking who were there early and pulling them out and serving them, leaving the queue jumpers waiting. Okay yes, many of these early queuers maybe resellers, but there is no law against it and they were there first.

How would they know who is a reseller or not? They are clearly using that as a euphemism for those intimidating others and barging into the front of the queue.

[Ruggertech]

How would they know who is a reseller or not? They are clearly using that as a euphemism for those intimidating others and barging into the front of the queue.

I didn't say they did. I pointed out that they are serving the people who queued first, whether they are resellers or not, and not the people who queue jumped and intimidated those people who queued first. They have no interest in who is or is not a reseller, reselling is not against the law and not their problem, it is irrelevant.

[xxnick1975]

Are we sure the aggro isnt folk seeking a refund now the novelty has worn off?

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[sandman]

This could be easily resolved by hiring security who aren’t scared to refuse entry to the queue jumpers or those intimidating others.

[Ruggertech]

This could be easily resolved by hiring security who aren’t scared to refuse entry to the queue jumpers or those intimidating others.

Or even easier by offering them online.

[Christian]

This could be easily resolved by hiring security who aren’t scared to refuse entry to the queue jumpers or those intimidating others.

Swatch wont want them seen getting physical or into arguments with people on their doorstep and the security themselves don't want to be in a position where they have to subsequently defend their actions when they become youtube videos. As an example, even though cleared by police, Julius Francis, the guy who knocked out that twerp outside Wembley Boxpark lost his SIA licence. It's totally not fair but much easier for all involved if they give them what they want to get rid of them.

[chicaneuk]

Or even easier by offering them online.

I said it before.. Nike have an app called SNKRS for selling their new, most in demand shoes and accessories... and all that happens is they announce a 'drop' time for a particular item, and you have a 15 minute window to enter the ballot for it. After 15 minutes you get notified whether you were successful or not, and are charged, and the shoes get shipped. It seems a pretty fair way of doing it. I don't see why a company as gigantic as Swatch couldn't cook up something similar honestly, though it's rather late in the day now.

[Ruggertech]

I said it before.. Nike have an app called SNKRS for selling their new, most in demand shoes and accessories... and all that happens is they announce a 'drop' time for a particular item, and you have a 15 minute window to enter the ballot for it. After 15 minutes you get notified whether you were successful or not, and are charged, and the shoes get shipped. It seems a pretty fair way of doing it. I don't see why a company as gigantic as Swatch couldn't cook up something similar honestly, though it's rather late in the day now.

Indeed, or timefactors...ahem.

[OldHooky]

"
This can sometimes mean allowing them to purchase so that 'genuine' customers can then be served in peace."

If you can't beat them...

[GTuned]

I reckon we should hold a TZ watch meet outside a Swatch shop as part of our queuing effort. With enough of us in attendance, no one will try jumping a queue.. and we’ll all have fellow hobbyists to talk to!

[IanK]

This can't be good for the swatch brand never mind the omega brand.

The outside of their flagship boutiques now resemble the queues at a dodgy nightclub

[OldHooky]

Or the kebab shop at 2am.

[murkeywaters]

This can't be good for the swatch brand never mind the omega brand.

The outside of their flagship boutiques now resemble the queues at a dodgy nightclub

Apparently the Moonswatch is boosting sales of the Speedy pro by double digits according to Bloomberg -

London geezer in the wife beater looks ready for some moonswatch action..

[RobDad]

Is that where the G shock store used to be? - worked round the corner for nearly 20 years, not been back for over a decade!


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[Holyzeus]

Apparently the Moonswatch is boosting sales of the Speedy pro by double digits according to Bloomberg -

London geezer in the wife beater looks ready for some moonswatch action..

Is this a recent photo?

[ozzyb123]

That’s not a queue

That’s a mob


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[M1011]

Is this a recent photo?

It's from a new article dated 26th March.

[chicaneuk]

I know swatch probably don’t care who they sold them to and how because a sale is a sale but.. they can’t really look back on the launch of this watch as an actual success in terms of customer satisfaction… lots of actual enthusiasts had absolutely no chance of getting their hands on one.

[Christian]

I know swatch probably don’t care who they sold them to and how because a sale is a sale but.. they can’t really look back on the launch of this watch as an actual success in terms of customer satisfaction… lots of actual enthusiasts had absolutely no chance of getting their hands on one.

My take....I doubt they will care less about enthusiast satisfaction, the success will be measured on profit. The Swatch Boutiques can't take customers cash fast enough for this one. That is all the customer satisfaction they'll worry about.

[jukeboxs]

I know swatch probably don’t care who they sold them to and how because a sale is a sale but.. they can’t really look back on the launch of this watch as an actual success in terms of customer satisfaction… lots of actual enthusiasts had absolutely no chance of getting their hands on one.

Oh, I dunno ... I am sure the scalpers who have been making a steady income off these are reasonably satisfied.

[gcleminson]

- - - Updated - - -



By email from Swatch.

To you directly..?

[OldHooky]

To you directly..?

Yes

[number2]

Perhaps I phrased it wrong. What I meant by that was the met police don’t bat an eyelid at crime unless it is life threatening. Robbery and theft don’t get a look in, so why would they be bothered about intimidating behaviour in a queue for a plastic watch. Security aren’t going to step in either…why risk getting involved in a brawl that ends up on youtube and a subsequent enquiry into heavy handedness. It’s lose-lose for Swatch. Easier to give them what they want and sell them the watch to get rid of the problem.

All police forces have been seriously underfunded and had their numbers reduced by over 20,000 officers and approx the same number of backroom staff for the last ooooh ten years or so.