In Paris, police deployed tear gas. In Milan, a fist-fight erupted. In Hong Kong, Singapore, London and New York, all-night queues snaked from the doors of Swatch stores – the latest examples of “drop culture” to flash across the globe when status symbols and resale value collide.
The company at the centre of it all, Swatch, is no stranger to over-the-top retail outbreaks, and said on May 18 that there is no shortage of its Royal Pop pocket watch – a collaboration with luxury watchmaker Audemars Piguet.
All for a “bioceramic” timekeeper that retails for around US$400 – but perhaps more to the point, resells for thousands of dollars. By May 18, the candy-coloured flex objects had proliferated on eBay, with one boasting: “In hand!!! Swatch x AP Royal Pop,” £3,055 (US$4,100) “or best offer”.
