Paris (France) (AFP) - The launch of limited edition Swatch watches descended into chaos Saturday in several European cities and New York, with French police firing tear gas to restore order at one store near Paris.

Hundreds of people waited through the night – and in some cases for several days – hoping to get their hands on the “Royal Pop” timepieces, made in collaboration with luxury watchmaker Audemars Piguet.

In France, lines of hundreds of people formed through the night in several cities, and a police source said officers fired tear gas to control a 300-strong crowd outside a Swatch shop in the Paris region.

A metal shutter and two security gates were damaged in the incident, and police said the stores had underestimated the need for security.

Things also turned ugly in Milan, where a fight broke out in front of a Swatch store at opening time on Saturday, according to footage broadcast by local media.

In the Netherlands, police had to intervene at a mall near The Hague after hundreds of people flocked to the store.

According to the police, “there was a tense atmosphere and some quarrelling”. When the store decided not to open after all, people were sent home. Swatch stores in Amsterdam and Utrecht also kept their doors closed.

It is not clear when the stores will reopen. On its website, Westfield Mall of the Netherlands announced “that the introduction of Swatch in collaboration with Audemars Piguet will NOT go ahead. The store will remain closed this weekend”.

- ‘Pushing and shoving’ -

In New York, the opening of the Swatch store in Times Square was met with “pushing and shoving” in the waiting crowd, John McIntosh, who had been in line since Wednesday, told AFP.

“It was like a mosh pit,” the 44-year-old said.

“People who got here last night have gone to the front, people who cut this morning, whoever cheats and pushes the hardest hits to front.”

Like many others, McIntosh hoped to get his hands on the brightly coloured watch – sold in store for $400 to $420 to resell it immediately at a huge mark-up.

Another buyer, who gave his name as Mac, said he had managed to get his hands on one after five days of queueing.

“It was pretty hectic… it’s nasty, but I was able to get in,” he told AFP.

“Retail for them is about $400, I sold one just now for $4000.”

Dressed in a grey suit and shades, Benny, 30, decided to pay rather than wait, shelling out $2,400 for one of the watches.

“It’s basically $2,000 over retail, but you can’t get an AP (Audemars Piguet) for less than $2,000, so I think it was a steal,” he said.

“I’d rather pay a premium and come out and get it.”

Swatch was forced to close its stores in London and six other UK cities for “safety considerations” after huge crowds gathered outside.

Contacted by AFP, Swatch declined to comment.

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