Swatch Issues An apology and Removes Ads Following Chinese Racist Backlash

Swatch issued an apology and took down their advertisements following criticism in China over pictures of a model making the “slanted eye” motion.

Swiss watchmaker Swatch has issued an apology and taken down ads that showed a male Asian model making a “slanted eye” gesture after receiving a lot of backlash online in China.

The pictures, which promoted the Swatch Essentials line, drew criticism for seeming to mirror discriminatory remarks about Asian eyes. On its official Weibo and Instagram pages, Swatch responded by apologizing in both Chinese and English.

The statement read, “We deeply regret any inconvenience or miscommunication this may have caused.” Swatch attested that it has eliminated all relevant content globally.

Approximately 27% of Swatch Group’s total revenues in 2024 will come from China, Hong Kong, and Macau. Swatch Group also owns Omega, Longines, and Tissot.

Due to “persistently difficult market conditions” and low demand, the company’s revenue dropped 14.6% to 6.74 billion Swiss francs ($8.4 billion) last year.