Over the moon: Hongkongers swept up in MoonSwatch mania as hundreds queue to get their hands on new timepieces
- Crowds seen outside Swatch outlets in the city since early hours of Saturday, with some turning a quick profit by reselling the watches at a higher price
- But watches are not limited or numbered and will be available in selected stores in the coming weeks, company had said
Hundreds of residents braved the rain on Saturday to queue up for hours outside various Swatch stores in Hong Kong hoping to be among the first to get their hands on newly launched Bioceramic MoonSwatch watches, with some looking to resell them at a higher price.
Long queues and large crowds were seen outside three Swatch outlets each in Causeway Bay, Mong Kok and Tsim Sha Tsui since early on Saturday, after the firm announced it would sell the unlimited MoonSwatch collection at HK$2,100 (US$268) each.
The MoonSwatch is the first collaboration between Swatch and luxury watchmaker Omega. The Omega Speedmaster, also known as the Moonwatch and costing about HK$40,000 to HK$50,000, was the first watch worn on the moon, according to the Swiss watchmaker. Astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin sported the timepiece during the Apollo 11 mission in 1969, making it a collector’s item.
Traders quickly attempted to cash in on the new watches, offering to sell them for between HK$8,800 and HK$20,000 each on e-commerce platform Carousell, with buyers prepared to fork out up to HK$8,888 for one.
Swatch said on its Facebook page the watch was only available at the three outlets from 10.30am to 11am onwards, with about 180 tickets being distributed from 8.30am on a first come, first served basis. Each customer would be allowed to buy only two such watches in different colours at a time. There are 11 models in various colours.
“The watches are not limited or numbered and will be available in selected Swatch stores, with more opportunities to purchase in the coming weeks … They will be available online at a later stage,” it said.
