Times Square crowd camps six days early for Ap Swatch Watch
Dozens of people camped outside the Times Square Swatch store for the swatch watch drop, and the queue started taking shape on Sunday, six days before release. The Audemars Piguet x Swatch Royal Pop is sold only in stores, with buyers limited to one per day.
Spots in line were trading for $200 to $600, and some people said they had been offered more than $1,000. The pocket watch was expected to retail at about $400, while dealers in line estimated resale prices from $1,500 to $3,200.
Nick Hayek on store-only sales
Swatch Group CEO Nick Hayek said the limited supply and in-store sales would make resale unavoidable. “It's unavoidable—they know that the product will be short. It's very selective. It's not online. You can only buy it in a store.”
The collaboration comes in eight colorways, and the line outside the Times Square store already turned into a market of its own. Sin said, “If you catch me now, it's 250,” then added, “If I move up, it may not be 250.”
He said he joined the line expecting a different product. “Originally, I came here for the watch,” Sin said. “I come to find out it was a pocket watch. Now I'm out here just selling spots.”
Delorenzo and Alex in line
Delorenzo held what he called a coveted spot at 13 and put his resale ceiling at “At the most, the max, $1500,” before saying, “But right now I'm feeling generous, so maybe I'll set it for $1000.” He also said, “I ain't going to lie. It's going crazy,” and, “The whole hood want it.”
Alex described the interest differently. “I think a lot of the girls are excited to put it on Birkins and stuff like that,” he said. “Like Labubu, but more expensive.”
The crowd outside Times Square shows the release is already being treated as a trading opportunity before the first watches reach buyers. For anyone trying to get one at retail, the practical path is simple: buy in store, expect a one-per-day limit, and arrive early enough to get into the line before the spot market pushes the price higher.
