By Monday morning, it appeared as though the chaos centered around the new Swatch x Audemars Piguet collaboration had faded.
The mod scene filled with paid line sitters and a shocking overdose that wreaked havoc on the streets outside Times Square and SoHo Swatch Stores on Saturday was gone.
But inside the fluorescent glow of Kasm Diamonds at 55 West 47th Street in Manhattan’s Diamond District, the frenzy surrounding the limited edition, pocketwatch that combines Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak with Swatch’s 1980s POP line was still very much alive.
In the shop’s display window, two of the coveted bio-ceramic watches rested alongside Cartier bracelets and Rolex cases. Inside the jewelry store, glistening-eyed shoppers peered over glass cases. Murmurs of “Swatch” could be heard throughout the floor, many willing to pay well into the thousands to own one.
The colorful “Royal Oak” has already become one of the hottest resale items this season, and Albert Kasm, owner of Kasm Diamonds, a family-run business since 1972, has emerged as a kingpin of the craze.
“The same day the Swatch store opened, they came right to me,” Kasm told The Post. Surrounded by watches and frosted diamond chains, the jeweler showcased a selection of the coveted timepieces. “I’ve been talking to them for a week. I knew the first five guys in line.”
“People thought it was gonna be plastic,” he added. “But once they got a feel for it — the bio-ceramic, the design — people went crazy for it.”
The collaboration, which retailed for roughly $400, exploded into utter chaos the moment it launched. Outside Swatch stores in New York City, hundreds camped out for days in hopes of scoring one.
The frenzy went beyond NYC as Swatch temporarily closed stores in Atlanta, Houston, Los Angeles, and Orlando “in view of safety considerations,” according to a company statement posted on Instagram, comparing the mob energy to that of old-school Apple. launches back in the day.
But while retail stores struggled to contain the madness, resellers moved quickly.
Kasm said he acquired roughly 20 watches on launch day alone and sold 7 of them almost immediately, most for $3,500, with the white, pink, and blue colorways being the most in demand. The green watch, he joked, “is not so hot.”
Online resale marketplaces like StockX had various watches listed at the lowest asks of $1,400 to $3,000 within days of launch. A full eight-watch set was available for nearly $22,000. On online sites like eBay and Chrono24, some prices range from $9,000 and way into the five figures with 72 bids and counting.
Part of the appeal is that the collaboration is rare. Audemars Piguet, unlike other watch brands, has rarely ventured into mass-market collaborations, allowing the Swiss-owned brand to maintain an aura of exclusivity.
The “Royal Oak” maker is known for inherently divisive collaborations, particularly with actors, musicians, and even Hollywood franchises. In the past, some of its most celebrated collaborations were done with Jay-Z, Kaws, and Marvel.
“That’s why this one is special,” Kasm said. “Audemars doesn’t really do collaborations like this. It’s an exquisite timepiece. It’s a history.”
The collaboration also taps into a growing luxury phenomenon: aspirational accessibility.
In recent years, high-end brands have increasingly embraced limited-edition partnerships, allowing consumers to buy into the prestige of a luxury label without spending six figures. Swatch previously ignited a similar craze with its viral Omega “MoonSwatch” collaboration, which spawned massive resale markups and overnight campouts worldwide.
But this same mentality sets the resale market ablaze. Especially when collaborations are limited in quantity.
“Scarcity makes people crazy,” Kasm said. “When they can’t get something, they want it more.”
“People have one or two pieces, but I had the most,” the jeweler said confidently of his competition. “I’m getting shipping in later on today, maybe another 6-7 pieces.”
The diamond specialist said that since posting online, prospective buyers have been constantly sending Instagram messages asking about inventory.
“It’s all social media,” he said. “The first video I posted hit like two-and-a-half million views. The newest one hit around three million.”
Even seasoned resellers admit the market is volatile, but for now, demand shows little sign of slowing, and Kasm is willing to take that chance.
“It might go down, it might go up,” Kasm said. “I hear a few stores are already sold out, so we gotta be hopeful, and hit the ball while it’s high. You don’t know what’s gonna happen.”
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