Omega-Swatch planetary collection draws crowds at Ion, MBS

A new collaborative collection by watchmakers Omega and Swatch drew hundreds of people to Swatch outlets at Ion Orchard and Marina Bay Sands (MBS) yesterday.

People arrived at the Swatch store in Ion Orchard's Basement 2 as early as 5.30am, intent on getting their hands on pieces from the new MoonSwatch collection.

The collection comprises 11 models, priced at $372 each, inspired by the Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch that sells for a minimum of $9,000. They come in different colours and are named after planetary bodies.

Although Swatch did not state that the watches are limited editions, many were drawn by the opportunity to own an Omega-branded watch at high-street prices.

They included Mr Kim, a 35-year-old watch enthusiast and tech executive from the United States who declined to provide his full name.

He said that when he arrived at 5.30am, there were fewer than 50 people outside the store. However, there was no clear queuing system. "It was an absolute disaster - there were 16 different lines," he told ST.

Two police officers arrived at the same time that he did. "By about 7am, there were probably six police officers," he said.

He estimated there were some 1,000 people waiting outside the store by 8am.

He reported that at least one person fainted in the crush and had to be attended to by first-aiders.

People in the crowd at Ion Orchard said 127 queue numbers were distributed some time around 9.40am, just before the store's official opening time of 10am.

But the distribution was chaotic, said Mr Kim, who did not manage to get a number. "Everyone started getting violent and pushing to hop the line," he said.

Mr Noel Lim, 24, arrived at 6am with his friends in hopes of buying a watch for himself and his girlfriend. He was able to grab a queue number but could buy just the pink Mission To Venus piece for his girlfriend, as Swatch said the purchase limit would be reduced from two to one due to high demand.

When ST arrived at Ion Orchard just before 11am, there were about 100 people outside the Swatch store, including about 40 within an area cordoned off for those with queue numbers.

Others lingered outside the cordoned area, hoping to try their luck. While the police had left, four safe distancing ambassadors urged people to keep clear of the mall thoroughfare.

There were similar tales of chaos at MBS. Mr Nigel Chan, 26, said that when he and his father arrived at 7.30am, there was already a queue of "500-plus people" at the first level of the mall.

"We were told it was the official line by other watch enthusiasts, but at around 10.30am, we realised that a mass of people had gathered outside the store already, though they weren't queuing," he told ST.

Mr Chan, an analyst, said that no one was allowed to enter the store at B2 even after its official opening time at 11am.

At this time, there were police on the scene and barricades had been set up.

By the time ST reached MBS at 12.30pm, the crowd had dispersed and the store was closed with "Out of Stock" signs over the entrance.

Swatch Singapore did not respond to a request for comment, although its Facebook post just before 11.30am yesterday assured customers that there will be more opportunities to purchase the MoonSwatch in the coming weeks.

Social media reported similar scenes happening at Swatch stores around the world.