A father and son who have built a watch collection worth £46,000 were among collectors who queued overnight for a limited edition release in central London.

Seb Easton, 51, hailed his son Taz, 19, as a “real businessman” as they waited to get their hands on Swatch and Omega’s new Mission to Moonshine Gold timepiece on Tuesday.

The watch, part of the two companies’ Moonswatch range and priced at £245, went on sale at 6pm on Tuesday at the Royal Exchange in London and also in Tokyo, Japan, Zurich, Switzerland and Milan, Italy.

The Eastons told the PA news agency they had been sitting outside on camping chairs since 9pm on Monday and had not slept.

Taz, a stylist who started collecting watches when he was 13, said his and his father’s joint collection was worth £46k – but that his interest in the new Moonswatch release was more about its exclusivity than its value.

He said: “This one is not going to add any value on top. It’s cheap plastic rubbish, it’s made out of plastic. But it’s just because it’s exclusive, you feel me?”

Father Seb, an airbrush artist, said they were both opportunists whose main interest was making money.

“I’ve had a trainer collection since way back, from New York, but I never wore them and just kept them in the wardrobe,” he said.

“I used to pull them out to show him and I think over the years he has taken it on in his own way – he’s a real businessman.

“He came down and started doing this and started getting me involved.

“It’s not as much of a passion for me but I don’t want to hear someone has done well and I haven’t, so I thought I’d come down.

“I’m an opportunist. If there’s money involved, I’m in it.”

The Moonswatch range proved massively popular in 2022 after 11 different high-colour watches made from plastic-esque “bioceramic” material were released at £207 each.

The watches currently retail on resale websites for as much as £1,400.

The queue was patrolled by security guards in high-visibility clothing who took photographs of everyone waiting in line to make sure no one jumped in.

A 19-year-old sneaker reseller who gave his name as Connor said “money, literally money” as he explained why he had chosen to queue since 10.30pm on Monday.

He said: “It’s just chance really. You never know how many people are going to be here so you just have to come as early as possible.

“The whole thing is really just a chance.

“I slept a little bit but it is quite difficult when there are so many security guys around.

“It’s not as bad as people think. It’s a lot different to what you probably think it has been like.”