Swatch, which also makes Omega, Longines, and Tissot watches, generates around 27% of its revenues in the China, Hong Kong, and Macau region. However, sales in the market fell 14.6% year-on-year in July as demand slumped in China.

Despite Swatch’s apology, some consumers are still calling for a boycott of its brands.

One Weibo user with more than 1 million followers accused the company of “racism against Chinese,” suggesting regulators should punish the brand.

On Instagram, another critic wrote in a comment: “That wasn’t a mistake, it was a deliberate display of supremacy and dominance over others, embedded in your marketing.”

In 2023, French luxury brand Dior faced a similar controversy after running an ad showing an Asian model pulling up the corner of her eye.

ADWEEK has reached out to Swatch for a further statement. At the time of writing, it had not replied.