Moonswatch Buying Experience
Apologies for the length of this post but I wanted to share my experience.
I was in London today for my photography marathon. I was early so I popped by the Swatch boutique. There was a queue of around 15-20 people in front of me. There were also 10 or so people just hanging around by the door. So I started queuing. An elderly couple joined after me. We made polite conversation and they said they were visiting from out of town and were asked by their son to pick up a Swatch. ’Not the latest one, that you are all after’ - I asked them if they had a picture of it: it was a Moonswatch. I informed them that everyone in the queue was after the same thing - they could not believe it. It was then that the two guys in front of me also joined the conversation. One was on vacation from the Middle East and the other was a flipper. The flipper told us that he came at least 3 times a week to queue and said that 5 mins before opening, the group hanging around the door will just push in and be dismissive when spoken to. The tourist from the Middle East was a genuine watch enthusiast leaving that afternoon.
Wih 5 minutes to go, sure enough, the group started pushing into the queue to the dismay of everyone in the queue except the flipper. At this point 3 security guards came out and started asking everyone in the queue who were the ‘legitimates’ we pointed amongst ourselves and pointed out those who had pushed in. Security removed them from the queue and made them form a separate one about s foot away. More people arrived and started pushing and once again, security asked them to join the other queue. The was no aggravation, just bad manners and arrogant behaviour. The elderly couple at this point were getting very agitated and left the queue.
The boutique was due to open at 10am, it was now 10:15 and no one had gone in. At this point, a security guard escorted a group of 5 people from the back of the queue into the shop. We were told after that they had had a bad experience the day before and were told to come back.
Our little group said that we understood that and that was the correct way to treat customers and Thanked the Security guards for sorting out the queue issue. They had also overheard myself and the Vacation guy talking about our interest in watches in general. 5 minutes, later, we were asked by security to enter the boutique (we were not at the front of the queue - about 5 back from the front).
We didn’t ask why. When we were inside, we were told that it was one watch per customer and that only, Jupiter, Earth and Saturn were available. Jupiter was on my wishlist and Saturn was top on the Vacation guy’s list. We both made our purchases and said we could not believe how all this had played out. When we spoke to the sales assistant inside, they said that they do want to try to give everyone a fair chance of purchasing a Moonswatch and not just the flippers who turn up everyday. I asked the assistant to pass our regards to the security team who did a sterling job of crowd control. Never once letting things get really out of hand. According to our flipper friend, that was the first day that they had employed such measures.
The things I saw and described, I know are true. What others said and implied, I cannot be certain of. Make up your own minds on what you want to believe.
So that’s how I got a Moonswatch (that I’m keeping!)
Really into watches and photography. Come say Hi on here or IG: chunghauphoto
Interesting story and well written. Congratulation to your new watch.
Interesting read. Thanks for sharing. I wish my local Swatch boutique salesperson is as considerate. It’s near impossible to get one.
Thanks.
The fakers couldn’t believe their luck with the ease of this one!!
Interesting story and well written. Congratulation to your new watch.
Thanks. Hope no one else has trouble getting theirs
Wow. Thanks for sharing. Time to start posting pics!
Interesting read. Thanks for sharing. I wish my local Swatch boutique salesperson is as considerate. It’s near impossible to get one.
You get good and bad salespeople in all shops. Luck of the draw really. Hope you get the one you want soon
Nice story and I'm glad it had a happy ending for you.
I wish I could buy one. Still no news in from Swatch stores in Hong Kong!!
Nice story and thanks for posting, I've been tempted to go to London several times but the whole Moonswatch release has put me off.
I can't believe they haven't increased production by now and that there are still flippers this long after release.
Wow! Crazy! thanks for sharing…also I’m excited to see your moonswatch photo 😁👌
It's nice to see that customer service still means something in this world. Good story.
Nice story and thanks for posting, I've been tempted to go to London several times but the whole Moonswatch release has put me off.
I can't believe they haven't increased production by now and that there are still flippers this long after release.
Looking at ebay listings. I currently see one of a "Earth" (one that was available in that shop) that is £410, with 7h to go; not just asking price, but actual bids. Even if it did not go up (it almost certainly will) that's £150 profit per watch. You can live from that income.
Thanks for the story. I look forward to seeing that watch with a matching pocket square in the near future. I hope that Swatch is trying to implement such common sense techniques at all of their boutiques.
I wish I could buy one. Still no news in from Swatch stores in Hong Kong!!
It’ll happen. Just be patient. It’ll happen
Nice story and thanks for posting, I've been tempted to go to London several times but the whole Moonswatch release has put me off.
I can't believe they haven't increased production by now and that there are still flippers this long after release.
I dont have a problem with flippers. Just when they act arrogantly with a sense of entitlement and think rules don’t apply to them
or…sell it online, already…!
I can’t speak for the other stores (if it’s a Swatch Group directive or the individual shop managers deciding to ‘be better’). It doesn’t solve the issues for potential customers who can’t get to a store. This only helps the ones who can get to a store, which must be the smaller percentage of people
The lack of online sales has to be a production bottle neck problem, right?
Pics!!!
The lack of online sales has to be a production bottle neck problem, right?
Has to be at this point. Demand is still sky high.
The lack of online sales has to be a production bottle neck problem, right?
Well according to Fratello’s article, no. They think (cases) are in the 1000’s per day. There are ‘human’ elements to the manufacturing but these aren’t substantial factors.
I mean their are supply chain issues around the world, so maybe it’s a distribution issue? Pure guesswork on my part. I honestly don’t know why
They would be exceedingly silly to hold back supply and let Fratello report on the manufacturing numbers.
Pics!!!
Haha! Of course, I will try!
AliExpress sells them a lot cheaper. They are also on dhgate. Although I don't think the original is worth buying as a regular Swatch Chrono is half the price.i got a brown Swatch Chrono new on sale for under $70.00
I recently got a Mission to Earth and my experience in San Francisco was completely painless. No line, no hassle. I have poked into this store maybe 4 times since release and they’re always sold out, until this past Tuesday. they had a few options and if You’re in the Bay Area check them out.
Absolutely crazy, fellow Londoner here and cannot believe that is behaviour is still going on
Could be just a ‘London thing’. Of course, the idiots would be the first to be outraged, if their families and friends were treated in similar fashion….
Lol pic or it didn't happen
I dont have a problem with flippers. Just when they act arrogantly with a sense of entitlement and think rules don’t apply to them
I'm not sure I have an issue with flippers, it's Swatch that I place the blame with.
I'm not sure I have an issue with flippers, it's Swatch that I place the blame with.
Just because they can make money from it, doesn’t give them a right to push in and act like that. You would definitely have an issue with those flippers if you or your loved ones were in that queue and were pushed to the back as a result of them pushing in and looking at you with disdain when you challenge them about it. Just because the supply of the watch may or may not be restricted, behaving like a decent human being is not much to ask.
Just because they can make money from it, doesn’t give them a right to push in and act like that. You would definitely have an issue with those flippers if you or your loved ones were in that queue and were pushed to the back as a result of them pushing in and looking at you with disdain when you challenge them about it. Just because the supply of the watch may or may not be restricted, behaving like a decent human being is not much to ask.
I meant I have no issue with them flipping, not how they acted in the queue. Agree with you that no one should be pushing in and acting in an anti social manner.
I meant I have no issue with them flipping, not how they acted in the queue. Agree with you that no one should be pushing in and acting in an anti social manner.
No, not with the flipping aspect at all. The young flipper in front of me was a perfectly reasonable and considerate guy. He makes the effort to queue up when he can and put up with the hassle that these other ‘people’ cause. I would go as far to say this: knowing what he and others have to go through in London (not sure it happens in other countries), it IS worth paying over retail for a Moonswatch in the current situation. It’s not pleasant and sure, it’s hard to put a price on the premium they would charge. It’s easy to blame Swatch for the manner in which the watch is sold but we really don’t know what their supply or distribution problems are. Simply by making it available online may not necessarily fix the problems. Covid, supply chain issues, pent up demand have whipped up a perfect storm for resellers at the moment
Glad that you able to get one.