Swiss watchmaker Swatch has found itself at the center of a global controversy after an advertisement featuring an Asian male model making a gesture widely recognized as racist drew swift and intense backlash, especially from Chinese consumers. The incident, which unfolded in mid-August 2025, has sent ripples through the international business community and reignited conversations about cultural sensitivity in advertising.
On August 16, 2025, Swatch issued a public apology and immediately pulled the offending ad from all platforms. The advertisement, part of the Swatch ESSENTIALS collection, depicted an Asian model wearing a bright orange Swatch watch while pulling his eyelids back with his fingers—a pose that has long been associated with mocking people of Asian descent. According to Fox Business, the company posted apologies both on Instagram and on Weibo, the Chinese social media platform, stating: “We have taken note of the recent concerns regarding the portrayal of a model in images for the Swatch ESSENTIALS Collection. We treat this matter with the utmost importance and have immediately removed all related materials worldwide.”
The apology continued, “We sincerely apologize for any distress or misunderstanding this may have caused.” Swatch’s swift response, however, did little to quell the anger of Chinese social media users, who flooded the company’s accounts with criticism and calls for a boycott. One user wrote, “I can’t believe that such a large watch company could make such a careless mistake. You should not bring discrimination against Asians into your product posters. This will only cause you to lose more Asian customers and bring no benefit. This cannot be forgiven.” Another user commented, “You purposely use an Asian doing the slanted eye pose for your latest collection and calling it misunderstanding? I mean if only I was born yesterday.”
Many rejected the apology outright, with one particularly pointed response stating, “Calling it a ‘misunderstanding’ is just wild. You really should fire everyone in your marketing team.” The backlash also quickly spread beyond Swatch itself, with some users calling for a boycott of other brands owned by Swatch Group, including Omega, Longines, Breguet, and Tissot.
China is one of Swatch’s most important markets, and the timing of the controversy could hardly have been worse for the Swiss company. According to Reuters, Swatch’s revenue for 2024 had already fallen by 14.6 percent to 6.74 billion Swiss francs, with the company citing “persistently difficult market conditions and weak demand for consumer goods overall” in the region. In July 2025, Swatch reported an 11.2 percent drop in net sales for the first half of the year, attributing the slump exclusively to slow demand in China. The company further clarified that the 7.1 percent decline in sales for the first half of 2025 was “exclusively attributable to China.”
Swatch’s official statement did not go unnoticed by international media, with The Guardian publishing a screenshot of the controversial ad and detailing the widespread criticism it received in China. The ad’s use of the “slanted eyes” gesture, which has been used historically to mock people of Asian descent, was immediately recognized as offensive by Chinese audiences and others worldwide. The gesture has a painful legacy, having been deployed in racist taunts for generations.
Swatch is hardly the first international brand to stumble in this way. In 2018, Italian fashion house Dolce & Gabbana faced a similar firestorm after releasing videos showing a Chinese model struggling to eat Italian food with chopsticks—an ad that sparked widespread outrage and led to boycotts. In 2023, Dior was also criticized for an ad featuring a model pulling up the corner of her eye. These incidents underscore the risks global brands face when failing to account for cultural sensitivities in their marketing campaigns.
The Swatch Group, founded in 1983 during the so-called “quartz crisis” that threatened traditional Swiss watchmaking, is renowned for its colorful, affordable watches and owns several luxury brands. The name “Swatch” itself is a contraction of “second watch.” Last year, China, Hong Kong, and Macau together accounted for around 27 percent of the group’s overall sales, highlighting just how critical the Chinese market is to the company’s fortunes.
In the wake of the backlash, Swatch reiterated its commitment to addressing consumer concerns, stating in its apology, “We treat this matter with utmost importance.” The company emphasized that all related promotional materials had been deleted worldwide following the uproar. Despite this, Swatch did not immediately respond to further media requests for comment, leaving many questions about how the company plans to rebuild trust in the region.
The incident has reignited debates about how multinational companies navigate the complex terrain of global marketing. As more brands expand into diverse markets, the margin for error has narrowed dramatically. What might pass unnoticed in one country can spark outrage in another, particularly in an age when social media ensures that local controversies can become international crises within hours.
For Swatch, the stakes are high. The company’s recent financial struggles in China have been well-documented, and the latest controversy threatens to deepen those woes. Consumer anger in China is not to be underestimated; previous boycotts against international brands have resulted in significant and lasting damage. The company’s other brands—Omega, Longines, Breguet, and Tissot—could also suffer collateral damage if the boycott calls gain traction.
Industry analysts note that the Swatch controversy is part of a broader pattern. As Chinese consumers become more vocal and assertive on social media, international brands must tread carefully to avoid missteps. The reaction to Swatch’s ad demonstrates not only the power of public opinion but also the heightened expectations placed on global companies to demonstrate cultural awareness and respect.
While Swatch’s apology and removal of the ad were necessary first steps, many observers believe the company will need to do much more to restore its reputation. Some have called for greater diversity and cultural sensitivity within marketing teams, while others argue for more robust review processes to catch potentially offensive content before it goes public.
The Swatch episode serves as a cautionary tale for other brands operating in the global marketplace. In today’s interconnected world, a single misjudged image can have far-reaching consequences, threatening not just sales but the hard-won trust of consumers. For Swatch, the path forward will require more than just apologies—it will demand meaningful change and a renewed commitment to understanding and respecting the diverse cultures it seeks to serve.
As the dust begins to settle, the watchmaker’s next moves will be closely watched by industry peers and consumers alike. Swatch, once celebrated for its playful, boundary-pushing designs, now faces the challenge of proving that it can learn from its mistakes and rebuild the bridges it so quickly burned.
