DDG didn’t mince words when Audemars Piguet and Swatch announced their upcoming collaboration, set to drop on May 16th with watches priced between $300 and $500. The rapper — who owns an AP Royal Oak worth approximately $200,000 — took to his livestream with a threat: he was ready to sell it.
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“That’s like buying a Ferrari and they collab with Honda and make a Ferrari Civic for $30k,” he stated.
It’s a clean analogy, and DDG isn’t alone in feeling it. The moment a prestige brand makes its aesthetic accessible at a fraction of the cost, the people who paid for exclusivity feel the ground shift beneath them.
He later softened his stance slightly — “My bad for pissing y’all off! get ya AP!” — but the initial reaction was telling. Luxury isn’t just about the object. It’s about what the object signals.
only niggas who collect watches understand my reasoning for frustration. my AP watch is rare & discontinued, so i HAVE to pay resale. that’s like buying a ferrari & they collab with honda & make a ferrari civic for $30k 😂 but my bad for pissing yall lil niggas off! get ya AP! 😭 https://t.co/L79pHRYU4N
— DDG (@PontiacMadeDDG) May 10, 2026
The MoonSwatch Blueprint
The AP x Swatch collab follows a path already blazed by Omega. According to Wikipedia, when the MoonSwatch launched in March 2022 — a bioceramic take on the iconic Speedmaster Moonwatch priced at $258 — lines formed outside stores in New York, London, Tokyo, Paris, and Zurich. Each customer was limited to one watch due to overwhelming demand. Per supply chain researchers at IMD, pairs hit secondary markets at four times the retail price, with official Swatch retailers reporting complete sellouts on every batch delivered.
The MoonSwatch wasn’t just a product launch — it was a cultural moment. According to Marketing-Interactive, the collab succeeded because two iconic brands with deep histories came together to offer something that was “fun, accessible, and affordable to the masses.” Per CollabSwatch, Swatch attracted a new generation of consumers younger and more receptive to the democratization of luxury, while Omega modernized the Speedmaster’s image without distorting the brand’s DNA.
Why Accessible Watches Matter — And Why the Market Demands It
DDG’s frustration is understandable emotionally, but the broader market data points in the opposite direction. According to Straits Research, the global luxury watch market was valued at $47.9 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach $87 billion by 2034. A significant part of that growth engine is accessibility. Per Market Reports World, the pre-owned luxury watch market alone sat at $26.5 billion in 2024, driven largely by millennials who now account for 41% of pre-owned luxury watch buyers in North America — many of whom are first-time entrants to the category.
The affordable luxury fashion market — which includes watches — is on track to hit $35 billion by 2034, growing at a 7.5% compound annual rate, per a separate Market Reports World report. In 2024, nearly half of all affordable luxury accessory buyers were first-time luxury purchasers, using entry-level products to get their initial taste of the category. That pipeline matters enormously for brands like AP and Omega: today’s $400 Swatch collab owner is tomorrow’s aspirational Royal Oak buyer.
“For first-time buyers, the MoonSwatch is a first taste of the Moonwatch — and hopefully grows them to aspire to own the Omega Moonwatch at a later stage.” — Kevin Huang, Carousell HK Managing Director & watch enthusiast, via Marketing-Interactive.
This is the part DDG’s Ferrari-Civic analogy misses. A Ferrari Civic would cannibalize demand. A Swatch collab expands the tent. As noted by Mediaboom, Audemars Piguet brought in $2.7 billion in revenue in 2023 — much of it fueled by Gen Z buyers. The Royal Oak still commands $200,000. What changes is the number of people who feel connected to the brand — and according to Teddy Baldassarre, that growing community is ultimately what sustains the mystique, not undermines it.
Exclusivity Is Relative
The same tension DDG is voicing plays out in sneakers every time a coveted silhouette gets a general release. The people who camped out for the original feel betrayed. But the broader culture of the shoe — and the brand — almost always benefits. Scarcity and accessibility are tools, not absolutes. Per McKinsey, as reported by Fashion Dive, luxury brands are actively shifting toward volume growth over price increases — meaning more people in the tent is the strategy, not the exception.
Whether the AP x Swatch drop on May 16th generates MoonSwatch-level chaos remains to be seen. But if the history of Swatch collaborations is any guide, DDG might want to hold on to his $200,000 watch a little longer.
