Recent Swatch info (Last updated: 19-JUN-2021)

• 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..... This watch has been STOLEN!  Back to the regular news service:
• Debbie Burghardt-Platt Swatch stories.  Debbie Burghardt-Platt worked for Swatch from 1986 (SMH back then) to 2009.  At the time, she was director of special Swatch events for the US.  In 2021, she started to post stories and photos from the 80s, 90s and 00s to the SWATCH ENTHUSIASTIC GROUP WORLDWIDE Facebook group.  With her permission and in order to preserve them, I republish and share these stories and photos here.
• Swatch NASA Space collection.  Swatch takes Bioceramic into orbit with a new NASA Space Collection.  The five Swatch watches will be launched on 03-JUN (in some countries on 05-JUN).  More photos here.  The collection consists of:  1. Big Bold Bioceramic Chrono Extravehicular (SB04Z400, 19800 JPY, 155 EURO);  2. Big Bold Bioceramic Chrono Launch (SB04Z401, 19800 JPY, 160 EURO) [no date window on dial => wrong ref code?];  3. Big Bold Bioceramic Jumpsuit (SB03Z100, 15400 JPY, 125 EURO);  4. Gent Take Me to The Moon (GZ355, 10450 JPY, 80 EURO);  5. New Gent Space Race (SUOZ339, 12100 JPY, 90 EUR).   The Big Bold watches take their inspiration from the various uniforms worn by the astronauts.  Additionally, there will also be a limited special packaging (SZS32, 800 pcs, unnumbered, 950 EURO) with all five Swatch watches (plus one additional Flik Flak NASA special watch), price seems to be 8000 RMB (~1025 EURO)!  It is rumoured that distribution of the sets is as follows:  USA 200 pcs, China 80 pcs, Switzerland 60 pcs, UK 33 pcs, Hong Kong 15 pcs, Canada 12, Thailand 8, Singapore 8, Taiwan 8, Australia 6, Malaysia 5 (available online), ...  Update:  Some nice teasers by Swatch on Instagram and via email to club members and the Swatch webpage is also already prepared...  Update 2: Nice promotion with "real" astronauts in London.  Update 3: After some complaints by Swatch collectors and (probably) many(?) unsold special sets, it is now planned to hand out a certificate of authentication as proof of 1 of 800 signed by the Creative Director & Head of Global Marketing within the Switzerland Corp office.  Update 4:  Street advertisement in Switzerland. Thanks to Tak Lun Lee for the photo and to Thomas Chan for the hint.
• New Harajuku Swatch store.  On 17-JUN, a new Swatch store will open in the Harajuku area in Tokyo (Japan), right in time for the Olympic Games in Tokyo.  Several DJs will play live music during the day.  To celebrate the opening, Swatch Store Harajuku will hold weekly live performances by various artists in the future as well.  Update:  Here are some preopening photos.
• Destination watches eco packaging.  Meanwhile, the first Destination watches are available in the new "eco" packaging.  No more paper sleeve but a paper box that can be opened at the top.
• Russia National Day SwatchXYou.  For the Russia National Day (День России) on 12-JUN, two special SwatchXYou are available: 1. Swatch Celebrates Russia St. Petersburg (canvas);  2. Moscow (canvas).  The current " Swatch Celebrates Russia St. Petersburg" canvas is very similar to the Swatch Takes Me Places St. Petersburg canvas from 2020.  Additionally, the two Russia Destination special are available online until 14-JUN: 1. Evening Ring (SUOZ262, Moscow);  2. Peter 1st (SUOZ263, St. Peterburg). Thanks to Daniel for the hint.
• Portuguese National Day SwatchXYou.  For the Portuguese National Day (Dia de Camões) on 10-JUN, a special SwatchXYou Swatch Celebrates Portugal (canvas) is now available.  Additionally, the Swatch Porto (SUOZ315) Destination special is available online until 11-JUN.
• Pride month SwatchXYou.  US President Joe Biden declared June LGBTQ+ Pride Month in 2021.  Four different SwatchXYou Pride watches are now available in the Swatch Online Store:  1. Pride Heart (canvas);  2. Pride Square (canvas);  3. Pride Sticker (canvas);  4. Pride World OK (canvas).  Additionally, two Swatch Pride themed watches are available in the Swatch Online Store.  A third Big Bold Let's Parade (SO27E107) can still be found on the Swatch website but it is not for sale at the moment (manufacturing delays?).  Therefore, this watch is not shown in the overview page of Pride themed watches.  Thanks to Andrea Marco Faggioli for the hint.
• Promotional variations.  Please have a look at this promotional video by Swatch.  It can also be found on Facebook.  Doug Murphy observed several significant differences of the watches in the video compared to the actual watches on sale.  Most notably the wrong font for the "w" in the Swatch logo, sigh!
• Italy Destination specials.  In order to celebrate Festa della Repubblica (Republic Day) in Italy (02-JUN), seven Italy Destination specials are now available online at Swatch (until 03-JUN).
• Swatch on Storage Wars.  Is this how our Swatch collections will end up?  I think that I spotted a Grand Prix Chrono in the collection so it really might have been a good deal...  ("is that a Jelly Fish?" [holding up a Chandelier Xmas special :-] :-) Thanks to Roberto for the hint.
  
• Nespresso special.  Nespresso has released a nice company special, a New Gent Nespresso.  It was given to members of the construction team of the third Nespresso factory at Romont (Switzerland).  The watch is a New Gent Black Ghost (SUOK107) from 2013 with a special strap.
• Most expensive Swatch watches.  vintageradar.com has a nice report about the Most Expensive Swatch Watches of All Time.  Some of their choices in the top 10 list are a bit awkward but check it out yourself!
• Shareholder special 2021.  On 11-MAY, the annual shareholder assembly of Swatch Group was held in a virtual setup.  Nevertheless, each shareholder who registered in time will receive a special New Gent Bioreloaded Swatch Time To Spring (SO29K102) as a gift (as every year). "We were confined but not immobile : the ticking heart of Swatch continues to generate new projects and evolve." Thanks to Alexandre Brunner for the photo.
  
• Expo 2020 Dubai Gent.  Swatch is the official timekeeper of Expo 2020 Dubai (01-OCT-2021 to 31-MAR-2022).  In an Instagram video by Swatch (150 days to go until the opening of  Expo 2020 Dubai), Nicolò found a not yet released(?) Gent special(?) that is probably part of the the Expo 2020 Dubai Swatch collection.  Since DEC-2020, a first Expo 2020 related Swatch special is available in Dubai:  A New Gent Ibtikar (SUOZ328). Update:  It seems that not only one Expo 2020 Gent has been released in Dubai.  A photo of two Expo 2020 Dubai Gent specials has surfaced.  One of them has the ref.no. SO28Z103(?), so I guess that both are Bio-reloaded Gent watches.  The two Gent watches are also shown on the Expo 2020 Dubai page on the Swatch website:  1. Asalah ("Authenticity");   2. Al-Hob ("Love").  For now, these three Expo 2020 Dubai specials are available exclusively in the UAE, launching worldwide on 01-OCT, with the opening of Expo 2020.
  
• Hainan Expo SwatchXYou specials.  Swatch is main partner of the Swiss pavilion at the Hainan Expo in China (07 to 10-MAY-2021).  Six special SwatchXYou designs have been created by three artists from Switzerland and three artists from China:  1. Eugen Fleckenstein (Switzerland): canvas;  2. Guillaume Pilet (Switzerland, check link in bio!): canvas;  3. Jordi Mg (Switzerland): canvas;  4. Kalman Pool (China, check link in bio!): Luminous Opera (canvas);  5. Yanqi Liang (China): Sweet Friends (canvas);  6. YuLong LLI (China): canvas.
• Swatch X BAPE London special.  A new Swatch BAPE London special will be released soon:  Swatch X BAPE Conduit Street (SO27Z706) will be available at a new BAPE boutique at 24-25 Conduit Street (Mayfair).  The watch is limited but not numbered and it is packaged in the well known Swatch BAPE box (open box).  Here is a photo of the backside of the watch, showing the "London" print on the loop around the strap.  Update:  Originally announced in DEC-2020, the Swatch BAPE London special will finally be on sale on 08-MAY at the new BAPE store in London.  Some nice gifts (bag, stickers) available with in-store purchase at the BAPE shop.
• Second collection Big Bold Bioceramic.  A nice new collection of four Swatch Big Bold Bioceramic watches is now available in the Swatch Online store.  Strong colours!
• Mother's Day SwatchXYou specials.  Germany celebrates Mother's Day next Sunday (09-MAY) [I am not sure about other countries].  Three different Mother's Day SwatchXYou specials are now available at the Swatch Online Store:  1. Mother Vintage (canvas);  2. Mother Tattoo (canvas);  3. Mother Flower (canvas).
• Highsnobiety Keith Haring report.  Highsnobiety has a nice Swatch related report about Keith Haring art watches.
• NFT Swatch auctions.  WISeKey (a leading global cybersecurity, AI, Blockchain and IoT company from Switzerland) plans to launch the NFT auction of the original SWATCH created for the 1992 Rio Earth Summit (an Automatic Time To Move (SAK102)) on Earth Day, 22-APR. According to the description, the watch in the auction is the first-off-the-line watch, designed by Maurice Strong (a climate activist and sustainable development pioneer) under the theme “It’s in our Hands”.  This watch was given to his widow Hanne Strong, by the wife of the founder of Swatch Nicolas Hayek sr.  I don't really get the NFT hype (I am probably too old for this and I prefer physical objects) but maybe this is of interest to some of the readers here :-)   Update:  Meanwhile, the opeasea.io sale of a NFT for a very yellowed Automatic Time To Move is at $5.535,12 (Reserve price not met).  Sales end 05-JUN.  If you still scratch your head about NFT or the high price for a digital certificate for a used Swatch, please be sure to read this ("...planet-destroying receipts...it's a scam...bullshit...").  Inspired by the success(?) of this first NFT Swatch auction, a similar NFT auction for an Access To Space Swatch will take place soon.  Thanks to Dino for the hint.
• Record price for a Kiki replica.  A Kiki Picasso replica has sold for the record(?) breaking price of $1775 US.  Ouch!  (this replica is quite rare, though)
• Closure of Swatch store in Tokyo.  It seems that the Swatch store at the Nicolas G. Hayek Center in the Ginza district in Tokyo, Japan, is permanently closed :-(  It was a unique store in a unique building...
• Buying, Selling, & Collecting Swatch watches.  Hodinkee, the preeminent resource for modern and vintage wristwatch enthusiasts, has a nice report Buying, Selling, & Collecting - The Story Of My Life In Three Swatches.  It is always good to see Swatch collecting promoted to a broader watch enthusiasts audience.
• Netherlands Kings Day SwatchXYou.  On 27-APR, the Netherlands will be celebrating King's Day (Koningsdag) 2021 at home.  A SwatchXYou special King's Day (canvas) is now available in the Swatch Online Store (worldwide) until 28-APR.  Additionally, two Dutch Destination specials are available in the Swatch Online Store:  1. Tulpen Uit XXX (SUOZ714) - Amsterdam;  2. Bridge Between Art And Water (SUON705T) - Rotterdam.
• South Africa Freedom Day SwatchXYou.  Freedom Day is a public holiday in South Africa celebrated on 27-APR (celebrating the first democratic elections held on 27-APR-1994.  A SwatchXYou special South Africa (canvas) is now available in the Swatch Online Store (worldwide) until 28-APR.
• Lehrabschluss specials.  The Swatch Group Annual Report 2020 contains a nice photo of all Lehrabschluss / Fin D'Apprentissage / End of Apprenticeship specials.  Since 2015, the displays incorporate a Swatch watch.  Very hard to find...
• World Penguin Day.  Celebrate World Penguin Day today (25-APR)!
• Swatch X MoMA.  US Swatch stores are sending a teaser email promoting an upcoming Swatch X MoMA collection (launch on 04-MAR).  This report from France and Hypebeast has the details and photos:  Swatch unveils a special series of six models inspired by paintings belonging to the famous Museum of Modern Art in New York:  1. Gent Composition in Oval with Color Planes 1 (GZ350) inspired by Composition in Oval with Color Planes 1  (1914) by Piet Mondrian;  2. New Gent The Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh (SUOZ335) inspired by The Starry Night (1889) by Vincent Van Gogh;  3. Gent Hope II by Gustav Klimt The Watch (GZ349) inspired by The Hope II (1908) by Gustav Klimt;  4. New Gent The City and Design The Wonders of Life (SUOZ334) inspired by The City and Design, The Wonders of Life on Earth, Isamu Kurita (1966) by Tadanori Yokoo (previously in 1988, he designed the legendary Rorrim 5 (GZ107) Swatch art special);  5. New Gent The Dream by Henri Rousseau The Watch (SUOZ333) inspired by The Dream (1910) by Henri Rousseau;  6. Gent New York Tadanori Yokoo The Watch (GZ351) inspired by New York (1968) by Tadanori Yokoo.  The watches can be purchased separately or together as part of a complete collector’s edition, limited to just 221 pieces, in a box (650 EURO) inspired by the Blade Stair, a prominent architectural feature of the museum.  Additionally, three artworks by artist Beatriz Milhazes will be available as SwatchXYou specials:  1. Succulent Eggplants (1996);  2. The Mirror (2000);  3. Meu Bem (2008).  Update:  The Swatch X Moma teaser can now also be found on the Swatch homepage.  Update 2: Ed Chung has posted a nice overview of the Swatch collaborations with international museums since 2018:  JUL-2018: Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam;  OCT-2018: Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, Madrid;  OCT-2019:  Louvre, Paris;  MAR-2021:  MoMA, New York.  Update 3: In 2017 (during Baselworld), Patek Philippe released a very rare (less than 10 pcs) and surely very expensive The Dream watch with enamel dial, very similar to the current New Gent The Dream.  Read all about it here.  Update 3: Ed Chung just discovered that a very similar Swatch like The Dream (SUOZ333) has been released 27 years ago in 1994:  The Lady Seerose (LG110).  To me it looks as if this Lady Swatch has been inspired by The Dream....  It is funny that nobody noticed until now, it seems as if the Lady Seerose Swatch is one of those "totally off the radar" Swatch watches.  It is quite rare (try to find one!).  I guess that the demand for this Lady Swatch will increase soon...   Thanks to Carlos Zanotelli and to Ed Chung for the hint.
• Thailand New Year SwatchXYou Songkran special.  A special Songkran Thailand New Year SwatchXYou special (canvas) is now available in the Thailand Swatch Online Store.  Update:  In addition, the Bangkok Destination special Tuk-Tuk Sam-Lor (SUOZ284) is now available at the Swatch Online store until 15-APR.
  
• SwatchXYou at Macau.  Macau's first SwatchXYou Pop-Up store has opened its doors at Macau Galaxy Fashion Place Shopping Center (until 06-MAR).  Six different local Macau artists have created special SwatchXYou canvases which are only available at the SwatchXYou Pop-Up store.  One of the designs is by Designer & Illustrator Kay Tung:  Only you in my eyes (眼中只有你).  Update:  Here is a nice online report (google translate) showing the different SwatchXYou designs and the artists who created these designs:  1. Time Creator by Kun Lam;  2. Only You in My Eyes by Kay Tung;  3. Walk through Macau by Vitorino Vong;  4. Stars Journey by Tramy Lui;   5. Starry Generator by Mcz_Thomas;  6. Hourglass No. 5 by PIBG 2038.  Update 2: Starting 08-APR, the previous six Macau Calling! SwatchXYou are now available worldwide in the Swatch Online Store.  Additionaly, six new
  SwatchXYou canvases have been designed by the Macau artists (so 12 watches in total):  7. 0730am (canvas) by Kun Lam;  8. Sleep Day (canvas) by Kay Tung;  9. Energy (canvas) by Vitorino Vong;  10. Puzzle (canvas) by Tramy Lui;  11. Happy Rain (canvas) by Mcz_Thomas;  12. DNA (canvas) by PIBG 2038.  Thanks to Joachim Meyer for the hint.
  
• Swatch (Club) Art Night events.  In several countries (Germany, Switzerland), Swatch Club is organizing an Art Night event:  Swatch X MoMA Live Stream Artnight.  A great idea to get creative in these strange times.  In Germany, a digital Art Night open to the general public will take place on 12-APR (the one for the Club is earlier).  Here are some of the results of the Art Night organized by Swatch Club Germany.  Lovely!
• Swatch Big Bold Bioceramic.  "Nick, if you are talking from this ... you will not be able to come to Swatch back again".  Despite strong warnings from Swatch:  Swatch Group CEO Nick Hayek unveiled a new Swatch product line during the annual Swatch Group Media Conference 2021 (unfortunately only online again): Big Bold Bioceramic is made from ceramic and biological material (probably similar to the Bioreloaded Swatch watches).  The new product line (pastel colours) will be launched in early April during a Swatch press conference.  Nick Hayek talks about the new Swatch near the end of the press conference (at the 1:36:30 mark).  Update:  A nice "WIP" box has been sent to 200 VIPs / bloggers / influencers (such as Thierry Tek, Co-founder and Managing Director of Visionarism), it contains a Bioceramic Big Bold (very likely a unique model that will NOT be available in the shops!) and a card ("we honour your time").  WatchTime India has videos and photos of Swatch Bioceramic.  It was launched on 06-APR in an online press conference with Carlo Giordanetti and Bernado Tribolet. The new releases are available in five colours (47 mm, starting 15-APR):  1. C-Pink (SB03P100);  2. C-Gray (SB03M100);  3. C-Blue (SB03N100);  4. C-Black (SB03B100);  5. C-White (SB03W100).  The watch will cost 130 CHF.   Update 2: Here and here are more details and pictures about Swatch Next.  Update 3: A special Bioceramic page can now be found on the Swatch website, including the 20 minutes online press conference video with Carlo and Bernado.  Update 4: An exclusive presale of the Bioceramic watches will take place in the stores in Switzerland on 10-APR.  Update 5:  Additionally, Swatch has created the term Swatch Next (and #swatchnext): The new generation of Swatch materials (Bioceramics is the second addition and Bioreloaded from SEP-2020 is the first one).  Update 5:  The Swatch Harajuku store in Tokyo has a very special presentation of the new Bioceramic Swatch watches.   Thanks to @revolution.watch for the photo and to Ines Brem for the information.
  

• 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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