AP x Swatch watch craze sparks overnight lines, store shutdowns and resale frenzy

AP X Swatch chaos closes Oakbrook Center store

 What started as a watch collab drop ended with some malls keeping their doors closed.

ILLINOIS - A new collaboration between luxury watch brand Audemars Piguet and Swatch is drawing massive crowds across the country, with some people camping out overnight for a chance to buy the highly sought-after timepiece. The release sparked viral videos showing packed malls, long lines and chaotic scenes at some shopping centers. Collectors say the appeal comes from the rare opportunity to buy a product tied to the AP name at a much lower price point than traditional luxury watches.

What we know:

The AP x Swatch collaboration officially launched Saturday and quickly became one of the internet’s most talked-about product drops.

The watches retail for roughly $400, depending on the style. Collectors say that is a fraction of the cost of a traditional Audemars Piguet watch, which can often cost tens of thousands of dollars.

"I think the price is a great price point for anything marking an AP name brand on it, because you can't get anything AP under $30,000 from an AD [authorized dealer]," Ant The Jeweler told FOX 32.

Some collectors traveled out of state hoping to improve their chances of getting one.

Ant The Jeweler said he drove to Nashville because he believed locations in big cities would be overwhelmed. He said hundreds of people showed up for just a handful of watches.

"They only had 20 and it was like 400, 500 people out there," he said.

At some locations, the crowds became so large stores reportedly shut down sales altogether over safety concerns.

Oakbrook Center was closed Sunday because of this. 

The release also surprised some shoppers because the item is not designed like a traditional wristwatch.

"It's not a wristwatch. So that's the craziest part about it. Like people are going crazy and it's, it's just an accessory really," the jeweler said.

Dig deeper:

Some of the watches are already appearing on resale websites for several times their original retail price.

"I think the highest I've seen to go for right now that actually has sold is $3,500," the jeweler said. "So it's a lot of people that's buying them strictly to resell."

What they're saying:

"It’s a big thing for Swatch," the jeweler said of the collaboration.

"I think they just didn't want the liability with the different malls and stuff that they're in," he said, referring to stores that shut down because of large crowds. "It's a big collab."

What's next:

Swatch said the watches will be available for a few months.