Recent Swatch info (Last updated: 22-MAY-2022)

• WANTED! Mimmo Paladino (#021/100). I am asking for your help:  The Mimmo Paladino Swatch (#021/100) has been stolen on its way from the UK to Germany.  Apparently, the package was opened during transport (with TNT Express) and the watch (incl. the metal box) was taken out of the parcel.  If this watch shows up somewhere or is being offered for sale:  Please inform me so that I can forward the info.....
• WANTED! Perfect Timing Swatch (#332/700). I am asking for your help. The following bad incident has happened to a friend of mine without internet access: The Perfect Timing Swatch (#332/700) has been stolen on its way from the USA to Germany. Apparently, the package was opened during transport and the watch (including the plexi glass tube) was taken out of the parcel. The outer white cardboard tube was still in the parcel and can be seen here. If this watch shows up somewhere or is being offered for sale (remember that it will come without the white paper tube), I would be VERY happy if you could inform me about the seller. This watch has been STOLEN!  Back to the regular news service:
• "Rings" New Gent / SwatchPAY! Swatch watches.  Swatch has introduced several nice "Rings" New Gent / SwatchPAY! Swatch watches in the regular collection:  1. New Gent Purple Rings Yellow (SO29J100);  2. New Gent Blue Rings Red (SO29R103);  3. Swatch PAY! Blue Ringspay! (SO29N103-5300).  Thanks to David Rippmann for the hint.
  
• New Swatch store in Munich / opening event / SwatchXYou specials.  On 24-MAR, a new Swatch store has opened in Munich, Germany in the center of the city (Sendlinger Straße).  The store already shows the Omega X Swatch suitcase in the shop window.  Update:  A Swatch Club opening event for the new store will take place on 20-MAY.  Two Munich artists (Nadja König und Michael Wiethaus) have designed new Munich SwatchXYou specials.  Both artists will be present during the opening event.  Update 2: Three Munich SwatchXYou specials are now available in the German Swatch Online store:  1. München BW Michael (designed by Michael Wiethaus, canvas);  2. München C Michael (designed by Michael Wiethaus, canvas);  3. München Nadja (designed by Nadja König, canvas).  wristory (Dino) has some impressions from the Munich Swatch Club store opening event.  Here is an overview of the goodies given to the event participants in Munich.  Thanks to Wolfgang Seiler for the photos.
• Father's Day special 2022.  The Father's Day special 2022 is a Biosourced New Gent Star Dad (SO29Z119, 105 EURO), packaged in a special packaging with additional removable transparent loops with white and green print with the emojis heart, chef, hero and friendship.
• Swatch at Biennale Arte 2022 / special Swatch watches.  The 59th International Art Exhibition Biennale Arte 2022 will take place in Venice, Italy, from 23-APR to 27-NOV.  As in the last years, Swatch is a main sponsor of the Biennale (for the sixth time) and will present five artists from the Swatch Art Peace Hotel in Shanghai at the Arsenale venue in Venice (Swatch Faces 2022):  1. Landi (China);  2. Xue Fei (China);  3. Tang Shu (China);  4. Shin Hoyoon (South Korea);  5. Marcelot (Switzerland / Brazil).    Additionally, Swatch has invited Thai artist Navin Rawanchaikul to the Giardini, where he will create The Description of The World, an installation created specific to that place.   Swatch will also release a Swatch artist special by Navin Rawanchaikul in September as well as a watch inspired by the graphic identity of the Biennale Arte 2022.  Carlo Giordanetti (Swatch Management and CEO Swatch Art Peace Hotel) presented this information during the online press conference for the Biennale Arte 2022 in February.  Hopefully, Swatch Club will offer the possibility of visiting Biennale Arte 2022 as in earlier years.  Update:   The Description of The World at the Giardini has been unveiled at a press event before the official opening of Biennale Arte 2022 (video).  Swatch has released two specials for Biennale Arte 2022, both available in the shops:  1. Gent White Dream by Swatch (GW151R, 75 EURO);  2. New Gent Black Milk by Swatch (SUOB720R, 85 EURO).  Here is a picture of the packaging of the watches, new eco packaging with special sleeve.
  
• Torino SwatchXYou specials.  Three different SwatchXYou specials dedicated to the city of Torino are now available in the Italy Online Swatch store:  1. Granata (canvas);  2. Skate (canvas);  3. Zebra (canvas).
• Ed Sheeran wears a MoonSwatch.  Singer Ed Sheeran was recently spotted wearing a MoonSwatch (Mission to the Moon). Did he queue for the watch?  Where?
• Peanuts Swatch on Swiss TV.  Swiss politician and journalist Roger Köppel recently wore a Peanuts Swatch (a New Gent Pow Wow, SO29Z101) during a TV show in Switzerland.
• Beijing 2022 Olympics IOC special.  A special Beijing 2022 Olympics IOC Swatch has surfaced (with the additional Olympic Rings on the dial):  Gent Biosourced Charm Of Calligraphy Olympia Logo (SO28Z109). Nowadays, the IOC Olympia Logo watches are much more rare than ~10 years ago so good luck in locating one...  Thanks to Thomas Chan for the photo.
• Pigcasso exhibition in Germany.  Starting 01-JUL, Pigcasso, the "artist" pig (who also designed a sought after Swatch artist watch), will have its own exhibition in Hannoversch-Münden in Germany.  Here is a small TV report about the exhibition and here is another report on tagesschau.de!
• The Nines SwatchXYou special.  A new SwatchXYou special designed by Swatch Proteam member Nico Vuignier is now available on the Swatch website:  The Nines (canvas).  It is released for the The Nines sport event in Crans-Montana (Switzerland) from 04 to 09-APR:  "The Nines in its essence aims to celebrate sports and the athletes who write history through their dedication, talent, and passion."  If you visit the Plaine Morte Glacier on the public viewing day on 09-APR, you can meet Nico Vuignier and get an autograph on your limited edition The Nines watch...
• Omega X Swatch MoonSwatch collection.  On 17-MAR, two mysterious full page ads ("On 26-MAR, it's time to change your OMEGA -- SWATCH" / "On 26-MAR, it's time to change your SWATCH -- OMEGA") have appeared in several newspapers in Asia (South China Morning Post [Hong Kong] and Singapore).  Is this announcement of a Omega X Swatch collaboration?  What else could it be?  Very mysterious.  This two page ad was also published in Financial Times (Switzerland).  Maybe "Swatch Group" company will be rebranded as "Omega Group" or "Swatch Omega Group" or "Omega Swatch Group"??!?  Now also on Swatch Instagram.  Here is a report (in German) about the mysterious ads.  Maybe a Omega SwatchXYou?  (only joking :-)  The riddle will be solved soon in a few days.  Update:  On 21-MAR, the Omega and Swatch stores have been decorated in "Ω X S" style and the Hong Kong store now shows a mysterious suitcase with an "Ω X S" logo.  So it looks indeed as if we are talking about a "Omega X Swatch" watch collaboration here.  The Straits Times in Singapore has a new ad showing 11 different planets, so we are probably talking about 11 watches in the suitcase ($$$$).  More shop decorations in Asia:  Shanghai Swatch store, Shanghai Omega store, Taipei 101 Swatch store.  Does this Instagram post show the battery cover of the new Bioceramic Omega X Swatch watches?   Last week, a few selected journalists got a sneak preview of the new collection at Swatch HQ in Biel, with Swatch Group CEO Nick Hayek, Omega CEO Raynald Aeschlimann, CEO Swatch Art Peace Hotel Carlo Giordanetti and Omega head of product design Gregory Kissling. 
  
  Update:  After an early leak by Revolutionwatch, the Omega X Swatch Bioceramic MoonSwatch collection has been unveiled on 23-MAR and the blue suitcases in the Swatch and Omega stores have been opened worldwide on 24-MAR:   The MoonSwatch collection is a fun collaboration to produce a playful take on the iconic Omega Speedmaster chronograph. There are eleven different planet / missions themed watches in the collection:
  
  

  Planet	Name	Color	Special feature	Ref.code
  	Mission to the Sun	gold		SO33J100
  	Mission to Mercury	deep grey		SO33A100
  	Mission to Venus	pink		SO33P100
  	Mission on Earth	blue and green		SO33G100
  	Mission to the Moon	black	Follows the exact design and dimensions of the Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch.	SO33M100
  	Mission to Mars	red	Omega Alaska Project watch hands	SO33R100
  	Mission to Jupiter	bronze	orange Omega Ultraman seconds hand	SO33C100
  	Mission to Saturn	beige	Saturn’s rings at 6 o’clock	SO33T100
  	Mission to Uranus	pale blue		SO33L100
  	Mission to Neptune	deep blue		SO33N100
  	Mission to Pluto	gray and burgundy		SO33M101

  
  Each watch in the new MoonSwatch product line features its own mission statement, inspirational engravings ("DREAM BIG – FLY HIGH – EXPLORE THE UNIVERSE – REACH FOR THE PLANETS.") and joint OMEGA X SWATCH logos on the dial and crown. The battery cover on each watch features a depiction of its planet.  The case on all of the Swatch watches (42mm size) is made of Bioceramic (a unique mix of two-thirds ceramic and one-third material derived from castor oil.  Each watch has a colorful Swatch Velcro strap.  Did you notice the engraved "S" in the center of the glass of the watch?  All the key Speedmaster design features can also be found in the MoonSwatch: the asymmetrical case, the tachymeter scale with "dot over ninety" and the distinctive Speedmaster subdials.  The watches are not limited and not numbered and the price is 250 CHF / 250 EURO / 260 USD and they are packaged in colorful cubic paper boxes.  The MoonSwatch watches will be exclusively available at 77 selected Swatch stores (and on the moon [or Mars?]) on 26-MAR, with a limit of two watches per customer (= it will be difficult to get a complete collection quickly).  The blue suitcase with the "Ω X S" logo is not for sale, so there is no limited box with all eleven watches.  The first Swatch collectors are already camping out at London Carnaby St. store and in Asia (Hong Kong).  No queues in Munich on Thursday evening (11.30pm, note the missing suitcase in the display!).  Additional reporting can be found at Hodinkee, Hypebeast, Fratellowatches, GQ Magazine, Time + Tide, Financial Times, ...  Update 2:  Due to concerns of safety, the launch in China has been canceled!  Long queues in Kuala Limpur (Malaysia).
  Update 3:  So the MoonSwatch broke the internet and the real world on the weekend of 26-MAR.  Same league as the launch of the original iPhone back in 2007.  Congratulations to Nick Hayek, Raynald Aeschlimann, Carlo Giordanetti and all others involved in the bold move to decide for this project and the realization of this amazing product.  I collected a few launch queue highlights from all around the world on Instagram and here is a video of the queue in Frankfurt (according to the police:  3500 people in the queue!).  Unbelievable!  This was crazier than the queues in the early 90s...   Thanks to Ed Chung, Tak Lun Lee, Thomas Chan and @stefan1165 for the photos and information.
• Swatch X Centre Pompidou SwatchXYou specials.  Three different Swatch X Centre Pompidou SwatchXYou specials are now available online:  1. Centre Pompidou Detail (canvas);  2. Centre Pompidou Front (canvas);  3. Centre Pompidou Views (canvas).  Additionally, three prefabricated Swatch X Centre Pompidou SwatchXYou specials can be purchased.  The canvases have been designed by the french illustrator Stéphane Kiehl.
• Mother's Day SwatchXYou special.  A Mother's Day SwatchXYou special Floritura (canvas) is now available.
• Swatch X Centre Pompidou Collection.  On 08-MAR, the new Swatch X Centre Pompidou Collection has been unveiled at the Centre Pompidou in Paris:  1. New Gent The Frame, By Frida Kahlo (SUOZ341, 100 EURO);  2. New Gent Blue Sky, By Vassily Kandinsky (SUOZ342, 100 EURO);  3. New Gent Red, Blue And White, By Piet Mondrian (SUOZ344, 100 EURO);  4. Gent Carousel, By Robert Delaunay (GZ712, 80 EURO; note the very special date window!);  5. Gent Eiffel Tower, By Robert Delaunay (GZ357, 80 EURO);  6. Gent Portrait Of Dédie, By Amedeo Modigliani (GZ356, 80 EURO).  The watches are packaged in nice paper boxes with the design of the artwork.  Each box also contains some additional information about the artist and the artwork.  Additionally, three different SwatchXYou Centre Pompidou designs will be available online and in Swatch stores starting 24-MAR.  In April, a new Swatch Pop-Up store will open opposite of the Centre Pompidou (across the place).  A special limited edition showcase box is available worldwide (with a nice black bag) if you buy the complete Centre Pompidou Swatch collection.  On 08-MAR, Swatch held a memorable launch event for media, VIPs and bloggers at the Centre Pompidou.  Additionally, there is a long interview with Carlo Giordanetti (CEO Swatch Art Peace Hotel Shanghai) where he talks about the different artworks used as a basis of the six Swatch watches in the collection.  On 09-MAR, Swatch Club invited 34 club members from all over Europe to Paris for a great club event in the Centre Pompidou and other nice places.  Here is a report with many photos from a wonderful day in Paris.  An overview of the Swatch X Pompidou Goodies from all around the world:  Club Launch Event Paris, Taiwan:  Puzzle, Düsseldorf (Germany):  Poster.  Update:  The three SwatchXYou Centre Pompidou designs have been prelaunched during a Swiss Swatch Club event on 16-MAR in Interlaken, Switzerland.  Worldwide launch is on 24-MAR.  Here is a nice report by Christine Tanner with a few photos from the Interlaken SwatchXYou prelaunch.  Update 2: Swatch Club has published a great video and some photos from the Paris Club event on 09-MAR.    Thanks to Sophia Chang for the photos.
• Mother's Day special 2022.  The Mother's Day special 2022 is a Biosourced Gent Star Mom (SO28Z108, 95 EURO), packaged in a nice Hollywood-style reflective special packaging with additional removable loops featuring a heart, a blowing kiss, a gift and a flexing muscle.
• New Kids On The Block single cover.  The cover of the new comeback single Bring Back The Time by (gulp!) New Kids On The Block is designed in true 80s Swatch style inspired by the 1988 Gent St. Catherine Point (GB121).  The single Bring Back The Time also features Salt-N-Pepa, Rick Astley & En Vogue.
• New SwatchXYou at Biel Drive-Through store.  6 new pre-printed SwatchXYou models are now available at the Biel Drive-Through store with the usual Hamburger packaging. The models are already printed and ready to buy, no possibility to move the canvas.  The chocolate special is very nice! Thanks to Paolo for the information and photo.
  
• Expo 2020 Dubai March SwatchXYou country specials.  As you may know, Swatch has held a design competition (some months ago) for each country participating at Expo 2020 Dubai.  Now the sixth (and final?) round of SwatchXYou designs has been released for March:  1. Greek Alphabet (canvas) by Zoe Keramea (Greece);  2. Croatia, Makes You Unique (canvas) by Marko Cukman (Croatia);  3. Porteuse De Lumière (canvas) by Onésime Lufuma Bengo (Congo DR);  4. Roots (canvas) by Zoha Khan (Pakistan);  5. Browski (canvas) by Vuyo Mahashe (South Africa);  6. Alegría En Colores (canvas) by Sergio Valenzuela (Guatemala).
• International Women's Day SwatchXYou.  For the International Women's Day (08-MAR), a special SwatchXYou (canvas) is now available in the Swatch Online Store.
• Expo 2020 Dubai VIP gift box. Win a Swatch VIP gift box at Expo 2020 Dubai:  Each AED 200 spent at any Expo 2020 Dubai Official Store, Kiosk or Cart during the promotion period until 31-MAR enters the lottery.  Six boxes per week will be distributed.
• Photos of Chandelier launch in Luzern / Hergiswil in 1992.  The Swatch craze was much bigger in the early 90s.  Here are a few great photos from the Xmas special Chandelier launch in Luzern / Hergiswil (Switzerland) in 1992 (back then, they sold 3333 Xmas specials in Switzerland alone...).
• Expo 2020 Dubai February SwatchXYou country specials.  As you may know, Swatch has held a design competition (some months ago) for each country participating at Expo 2020 Dubai.  Now the fifth round of SwatchXYou designs has been released for February:  1. Loudly Spanish (canvas) by Jordi Fornies (Spain);  2. Windows (canvas) by Christoph Demaitre (Belgium);  3. Maningue Hope ("Much Hope") (canvas) by Cremildo Walter Zandamela (Mozambique);  4. Kilts On The Royal Mile (canvas) by Ilse Woodhouse (United Kingdom);  5. Balikbayan (canvas) by Mark Justiniani (Philippines);  6. Reog (canvas) by Arianni Kurniawati (Indonesia);  7. Cuba (canvas) by Dayami Hayek (Cuba);  8. Kilim Of Pirot (canvas) by Vojin Popovic (Serbia);  9. Joy Stamp (canvas) by Ivan Petrusevski (North Macedonia);  10. Mr. Gukki (canvas) by Stian Borgen (Norway);  11. Colours Of Cyprus (canvas) by Carolina Alotus (Cyprus).
  
• Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II special.  On 06-FEB, Queen Elizabeth II will become the first British Monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee, marking 70 years of service to the people of the United Kingdom, the Realms and the Commonwealth.  To celebrate the Platinum Jubilee (festivities in early June), Swatch has issued a special Gent How Majestic (GZ711, 83 GBP).  Check out this video by Carlo Giordanetti for a close-up of the dial and the change of colors during the days...  Great idea!  The watch is packaged in a nice special packaging.  Update:  In honour of Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee and the How Majestic Swatch, the London Carnaby Swatch store was appropriately decorated in May.  Great job!
  
• Beijing 2022 Olympics SwatchXYou specials.  Six SwatchXYou watches are now available for the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games in February:  1. Alpine Ski (canvas);  2. Cross Country (canvas);  3.Hockey (canvas);  4. Skating (canvas);  5. Sled (canvas);  6. Snowboard (canvas).  Additionally, three of the SwatchXYou designs are presented as prefabricated SwatchXYou on a special Beijing 2022 Collection section on the Swatch website (104 GBP each):  1. Ice Hockey (SUOK136-028);  2.Snowboarding (SUOK145-013);  3. Ice Skating (SUOK147-004).  Update:  The press release for the Olympic SwatchXYou specials shows a seventh SwatchXYou All Sport which is not (yet?) available online.  Thanks to Joachim Meyer for the update.
• RIP Billy The Artist.  Rest In Peace Billy The Artist.  He made some great colorful contributions to the Swatch universe, he will be missed.  In 2009, he created two great Gent artist watches which are still hugely popular:  Afterdark (GZ204) and Morning Glow (GZ205S).  In the same year, we had the great G&P event in Venice with a huge outdoor live painting performance with Billy The Artist on Piazza San Marco.  No one who was there will forget that night, it was crazy!  We also met Billy later in 2009 at the Xmas event in New York City.  Those were the days, enjoying life to the fullest...  Update:  Here is a tribute by a local news site covering the East Village of NYC where Billy lived.  There will be a celebration of Billy's life on 20-FEB in NYC.  Details in this Facebook event here.  Update:  A few years ago (in 2009), a US based Swatch collector commissioned Billy The Artist (and other Swatch artists) for drawings on custom made Swatch folio boxes, these are really beautiful and are shared here as a tribute to Billy:  1. Afterdark;  2. Morning Glow.
  
• Best Swatch Watches from the 2000s.  Fratello Watches online magazine has a nice new report:  Buying Guide: The Best Swatch Watches From The 2000s.  An (erm!) interesting selection in my opinion, check it out and think about it....
• Kölner Karneval SwatchXYou specials.  Two special SwatchXYou watches dedicated to Kölner Karneval (Cologne Carnival) are available in the German Swatch Online Store:  1. Veedelliebe (canvas);  2. Fastelovend (canvas).  Despite the circumstances, Cologne Carnival is celebrated, with most highlights in the last week of February and the first week of March:  Kölle Alaaf!
• Valentine 2022 specials / SwatchXYou.  Three Swatch Valentine specials for 2022 are now available in the Swatch Online Store:  1. Bio-Sourced New Gent Half <3 White (SO29Z112, 80 EURO, packaged in a nice red box, glowing in the dark);  2. Bio-Sourced New Gent Half <3 Red (SO29Z113, 80 EURO, packaged in a nice red box, glowing in the dark); 3. Gent Love O'Clock (GW718, 70 EURO, packaged in a nice red box).  A special packaging for the two New Gent specials seems to be available as well.  Update: A special SwatchXYou Valentine (canvas) is now available in the Swatch Online Store.  Additionally, six pre-fabricated Valentine SwatchXYou specials are available (scroll down).
• Beijing 2022 Olympics Volunteer / NOC specials.  For the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games in February, NOC (National Olympic Committee) specials have been issued as usual: A (so far unknown) Bio-Sourced Gent Beijing 2022 NOC Hong Kong (SO28Z104D) in a special red paper sleeve.  For Germany, we have: Beijing 2022 NOC Germany (SO28Z104C) with no special loop around the strap but a nice pin.  If you know of any other NOC Beijing watches, please let me know.  Update:  A Bio-Sourced Gent Beijing 2022 Volunteer special (SO28Z104) is distributed to volunteers at the Olympics, 30,000 pcs have been produced, so it should not be too hard to get.  It is packaged in a special red paper box. The strap and the loop are different compared to the NOC specials.   Thanks to Tak Lun Lee, Thomas Chan, and to Daniel Licata for the photos.
• Berlin Hauptbahnhof store opening / SwatchXYou specials.  On 13-JAN, a new Swatch store in Berlin Hauptbahnhof (central train station) will be opened.  Two new Berlin related SwatchXYou specials (with lots of local specialities and tourist attractions such as Currywurst, Brandenburger Tor, Fernsehturm, ...) are now available in the Swatch Online Store Germany:  1. Berlin1 (canvas);  2. Berlin Colored (canvas)., designed by Hülpman (Felix Aaron Hülpüsch).  Six different prefabricated SwatchXYou based on his designs are exclusively available in the new Swatch store.  During the store opening celebration on 13-JAN, Hülpman will create a live painting...  Update: Here are a few photos and videos from the in-person and virtual (hybrid) store opening celebration.  Swatch Club Collectors were able to purchase a prefabricated SwatchXYou and they received one of 54 pieces of the great custom artwork, signed by Hülpman.  This is artwork 13/54.  Here is a press report about the new Swatch store in the central train station of Berlin.
• Laax Open 2021 PAY! special.  The Laax Open snowboarding event takes place from 11 to 15-JAN in Laax, Switzerland.   A special limited edition Big Bold SwatchPAY! Laax PAY! (SO27B120C-5300, 130 EURO) has been issued, it has an extra long oversize strap for a comfortable fit over ski/snowboard jackets (great idea! why not earlier :-)  A free regular-length watch strap is also included with the watch.
• Swatch collection book / download.  Pioneer Club member Hans van Buuren is planning to offer his huge Swatch collection for sale.  You can now download a big catalogue of his collection with tons of photos for free from his website (1GB download!  712 pages!).  Lots of great, unseen stuff.  The next best thing to a new Swatch Clopedia I guess.  Update:  At the end of DEC-2021, the printed Thirty Years Of Swatch Collecting book became available in a numbered and limited first edition of 40 pcs.  It is thick and heavy (more than 3 kilograms!).

• Older swatch news. Click here to read older swatch news with more pictures and info. Check it out if you haven't!
• I am currently looking for:

• Kiki Picasso (poster piece)
• Kiki Picasso poster (original only)
• Mimmo Paladino
• Helmut Newton Fingernails
• Prototypes, variants, hybrids, test models
• PunkXJob MAXI (MSUOZ280S) by Studio Job
• 1983 swatches mint only:  GG400, GT402, GB100 FHL, GG400 FHL, GN100 FHL, GN400 FHL
• "blister" plastic boxes for 1982/1983 swatches.
• original plastic boxes for Keith Haring (with correct price sticker) for:   Modele Avec Personnages (GZ100)
• Folders, brochures, documentation, advertisement material 1982-86.

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