Watch fans have turned a busy Times Square sidewalk into a campsite for Swatch’s drop with luxury watchmaker Audemars Piguet.
When the two watch brands at opposite ends of the price spectrum said on Saturday that they were teaming up, some people jumped at the chance to buy one before they knew what the collection would be. Swatch and Audemars Piguet later revealed they are collaborating on a collection of pocket watches called Royal Pop.
From Houston to New York, collectors and resellers have wasted no time lining up outside their local Swatch store ahead of the May 16 release.
At a location I visited in Times Square on Wednesday, I found lines of foldable chairs, with line-sitters having lunch and chatting.
I spoke to six people who spent days waiting outside the Swatch store for the chance to own their first Audemars Piguet. They were all excited to see a luxury brand come together with an accessible label.
“Everybody was freaking out about the collab, so I decided I’d come and try my luck here,” Alex Bueno, a 23-year-old jeweler, said.
I learned there was a mutual respect among the 70 or so people in the line. Once you’ve claimed a spot and spent some hours in your seat, you’re in. The honor system of keeping out line cutters and helping your new peers hold down their spots now falls on you, too.
Some of them worked in groups, taking 10-hour shifts to allow each other time to step out of line.
Some are lining up for the experience
Noah Hosler, a 24-year-old from Ohio, said he buys himself a new watch for his birthday each year. When he heard about the Royal Pop line, he booked a flight to New York City on Tuesday to camp out for his annual present.
He doesn’t wait in line for new drops often these days, but he used to when he was a shoe reseller. Unlike those who could take turns going home for showers or naps, Hosler has been relying on his surroundings and the new connections he’s made.
“It’s more for the experience for me,” Hosler said. “Camping out and meeting some new people — it’s been fun.”
A few line sitters said the Marriott Marquis hotel next to the store let them use the lobby bathroom, and the fast food spots in Times Square were mostly open to them hanging out if they bought something. I saw a street vendor selling water and energy drinks to those in line.
Hosler said he also packed snacks in anticipation of the long wait.
Pocket watches were a surprise
Saturday’s initial announcement divided the watch world: some were excited, others worried an affordable watch could hurt the value of their ultra-expensive Audemars Piguet collections, and all were asking what the collection would look like.
Swatch and Audemars Piguet revealed on Tuesday that it would be a collection of eight pocket watches, rather than wristwatches, starting at $400.
WatchGuys CEO Robertino Altieri estimated that the pocket watch would still fetch more than its original price when it hits the resale market. Alitier said he expects it to peak at around $2,500 on launch day.
Still, three of the people I spoke with on the line said they saw several others leave the queue after the official images were released. Many of those who stayed said they intended to wear the pocket watch as-is or hoped that Swatch would release an adaptable wristband.
Bueno commuted from Connecticut on Tuesday to secure his place in line. He said he was “a little bummed out” that it was a pocket watch, but he and his fellow jewelers were still ecstatic about the drop.
“I’m still optimistic that we might get bands by Saturday,” Bueno said.
After finding out that Swatch would allow one watch per person per day, Bueno was relieved to have already found a buyer for the pocket watch he had his eye on.
He and the others I spoke to said they witnessed people offering to pay for someone’s spot in line and trying to buy the coveted watch at the store before it went on sale.
“The rarity of the item and to be so close to the door — I’m excited,” Krista, a 31-year-old, told Business Insider.
It’s Krista’s first time camping out for a watch, and she said she felt comfortable settling in among the others in the line, who had built a functioning community over the roughly four days of waiting.
Many of the people I spoke to are worried the line could get more chaotic in the coming days and disrupt the camaraderie the line sitters had built. They were concerned that people could try to cut or bully their way into a better position.
“I see it happen with a lot of hypebeast drops, and this might be one of the biggest ones I’ve seen,” Krista told Business Insider.
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