Swiss Watch Brand Swatch Faces Backlash For Alleged Racist Gesture In Advertisement

Swiss watchmaker Swatch recently apologized for an advertisement that upset many consumers in China and other places. They announced that they had quickly pulled all related materials from circulation worldwide.

The controversy arose from an image promoting the Swatch Essentials collection, which featured an Asian male model pulling back the skin around his eyes. This action was widely viewed as offensive and racist, particularly in China, where many people criticized it online, stating it resembled hurtful stereotypes about Asian features.

As a result of the backlash, Swatch’s stock prices fell significantly. On Monday, August 18, the company’s shares dropped by as much as 4% before recovering slightly, closing with a 3.1% loss.

Swatch expressed on Instagram, in both Chinese and English, that “we sincerely apologize for any distress or misunderstanding this may have caused.” According to Specially SRF, the apology was also shared on the Chinese social network Weibo in both languages.

Despite a strong reaction on social media, Chinese fashion influencer Peter Xu, who has more than seven million followers on Weibo, thinks the brand’s quick apology will help them avoid long-term harm. He commented that while it was unwise to share those specific images, he does not expect the negative response to persist.

Furthermore, Swiss watch companies are currently dealing with new tariffs in the United States and are facing a slowdown in sales in important markets like the U.S., Japan and Hong Kong, as reported by industry groups.