Swatch Kiki Picasso

The Kiki Picasso artist special from 1985 is probably the most expensive Swatch on the market.  Recently, Swatch has given the reference number GZ008 to the Kiki Picasso Swatch.  It kicked off the story of Swatch and Art with a 140-piece edition, each with different colours.  It is one of the "Big 5" in a Swatch collection.

On 20-MAR-1985, the Kiki Picasso Swatch was launched during an art exhibition Copy Art in Paris.

You probably know the watch but what you very likely haven't seen so far is the invitation to this art exhibition.  This invitation is probably more rare than the watch itself :-)


Telex accompanying the invitation

During the launch of the Kiki Picasso Swatch, 120 posters were handed out.  Quite a few posters were destroyed as it was raining during the day.  Here is an original poster:


The poster features the 120 different dials of the Kiki Picasso Swatch. "Poster models" are very much sought after.


Lot 182 of the Squiggly Auction in DEC-2016:  EUR 13000,00 tax excl.  (not a poster model)


Lot 183 of the Squiggly Auction in DEC-2016:  EUR 12500,00 tax excl.  (not a poster model)

www.watchpaper.com


www.swissinfo.ch



www.haas-collection.de

According to this website (screenshot), the following invitation card for a Swatch launch event in Paris, France on 03-APR-1984 was also designed by Kiki Picasso!



In FEB-2025, the original design for the advertisement surfaced, with some additional information:

Original ink drawing by KIKI PICASSO (unsigned) from the BAZOOKA group. This is an advertising project for a SWATCH watch. Undated, circa 1984. The watch graphic (on the right side) is a photocopy. Size of the drawn part: 23 x 32.5 cm.

Attached is the mock-up of the advertisement, printed in black with red felt-tip annotations on the tracing paper and stamp on the back.


Andreas Wiethoff, 25-FEB-2018

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