Omega and Swatch dropped their “MoonSwatch” collab today, and fans of both brands are experiencing something streetwear and sneaker enthusiasts are all too familiar with – a little thing we call “hype culture.”
Omega x Swatch easily joins adidas x Gucci and Dap Gap as one of this year’s biggest collabs, combining the legacies of two Swiss watch icons and gaining immense worldwide attention for its release.
On March 26, hundreds of people lined up in places like the UK, New York, and Singapore as Omega and Swatch fans eagerly waited to get their hands on the collab’s colorful MoonSwatch pieces.
I mean, can you blame them? The watches, which channel Omega’s NASA-endorsed Speedmaster, were affordably priced at $260. If I were a big watch fan, I’d try for one myself.
For the Omega x Swatch drop, people started camping out as early as the night before the launch, staying overnight to beat the early morning release crowd.
People started camping out at Pavillion last night for the Omega x Swatch launch today. And I thought I had a chance when I was planning to just walk into the store this afternoon… pic.twitter.com/G8vZc3ofSA
— 🏴 Arisha Rozaidee 🏴 (@ArishaRozaidee) March 26, 2022
Customer videos even showed people bum-rushing malls as soon as security opened the doors (sneakerheads, sound familiar?).
The initial release of the Omega x Swatch collab appeared to be extremely limited, with stores allegedly receiving only a few hundred watch units.
In a “Swatch Release” note for customers, the King of Prussia mall security stated that the store “may be able to only satisfy 35-50 customers,” though the line reportedly exceeded 100-plus individuals.
Swatch released a statement updating customers about the collaborative release, “The Launch of the Bioceramic MoonSwatch Collection is an incredible success that exceeded expectations.”
“We would therefore like to remind you that there will be watches available in the selected Swatch stores in the coming weeks as it is not a limited edition,” the Swiss watch brand continued.
Then, of course, resellers will resell, swooping in to flip the Omega x Swatch watches on Chrono24 and eBay for nearly 10 times the retail price.
The “Mission to Uranus” MoonSwatch, dubbed the “Tiffany Blue” MoonSwatch, is currently reselling for roughly $4k on eBay as we speak.
No worries, Swatch is already aware of resellers’ tricks. “For the moment, we have to update the purchase limit to one watch per person until further notice. We will revert back to two watches per person as soon as possible,” the luxury watch label stated.
At first, this is a PR team’s dream — a globally hyped release wanted by thousands that received little marketing on their end.
But now, this may be a nightmare as the release yielded disorderly crowds far beyond Omega and Swatch’s reach.
Due to Omega x Swatch’s crazy demand, which included wildly long queues, police forced a few Swatch stores to close during release day for health and safety concerns.
Maybe they should’ve called up Supreme — who is fresh off a less-crazy (but still wild, nonetheless) Burberry collab — for some tips on handling extremely coveted releases.
