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Recent Swatch info (Last updated: 23-SEP-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:
• MoonSwatch production numbers.  Here is a nice report which "guesstimates" (using some official export numbers) the MoonSwatch production numbers (until end of August):  Up to 320000 (probably close to that number).  This number excludes Switzerland!  That's about 15000 per week in ~100 MoonSwatch stores (= circa 150 MoonSwatches per week per store).
• Dragon Ball Z specials.  Swatch is teasing a Dragon Ball Z special collection to be released on 25-AUG.  Spoiler:  watchpro has all the details about the Dragon Ball Z Swatch collection, including the photos of the watches.  Update:  The Dragon Ball Z Swatch collection is now available:  It consists of seven watches:  1. Big Bold Goku X Swatch (SB01Z101, $135 US);  2. Big Bold Cell X Swatch (SB01Z401, $135 US);  3. New Gent Gohan X Swatch (SUOZ345, $105 US);  4. New Gent Kamesennin X Swatch (SUOZ346, $105 US);  5. New Gent Vegeta X Swatch (SUOZ348, $105 US);  6. Gent Majin Buu X Swatch (GZ358, $85 US);  7. Gent Frieza X Swatch (GZ359, $85 US).  The DBZ watches are packaged in nice special boxes.   Update 2:  On 01-OCT, an eighth DBZ Swatch special will be released:  Big Bold Shenron X Swatch.   Additionally, a limited and numbered collectors box set containing all eight DBZ watches in special orange balls will be released:  Shenron X Swatch Numbered Edition.  The box will be limited to 997 pcs and both the DBZ watches and the special box will be numbered.   The official press release of Swatch Group first showed the photos of the special packaging.  Meanwhile, the pictures of the special box have been removed.  The Swatch Drive Thru store in Biel has been decorated in DBZ style as well.   Update 3: Actual photos of the closed Shenron X Swatch Numbered Edition box set:  top / side, taken during a DBZ event at a Swatch store in Hong Kong.   We've seen that "closed box in a sealed showcase" sales tactic before :-)  Update 4: On 08-SEP, a DBZ calligraphy event was held in New York City.  Update 5:  Huge advertisement displays for the Dragon Ball Z Swatch collection in Taipei City and at the Times Square in New York City.  Update 6:  Here is a 'real life' photo of the Shenron X Swatch Numbered Edition.  Distribution: 25 sets in Hong Kong, 5 in Macau, 70 in China, ...    Thanks to Tristan Segovia, Tak Lun Lee, Sophia Chang and Chi Kuen Yuen for the photos.
• Smuggling Swatch watches.  Do not try to smuggle Swatch watches!  Otherwise, the collection might be confiscated by custom officers.  A modest Swatch collection (57 watches) has been "catched" recently by the Italian Guardia Di Finanza on the Swiss-Italian border at Piaggio Valmara (Lago Maggiore).  A fine up to 50000 EURO is possible.  More details here (Google translation). 
• Lollapalooza Berlin special.  For the Lollapalooza Berlin festival (24 and 25-SEP), a special Swatch SwatchPAY! Lollapalooza (SVIK102C-5300, 100 EURO) is available at the Festival, in the Berlin Swatch stores and also online in the Swatch Germany online store.
• Mission To Neptune ads.  On 06-SEP, Swatch placed a full page ad for the Mission To Neptune MoonSwatch in the Financial Times newspaper (European edition).  Mission To Neptune was withdrawn from sale immediately after the launch on 26-MAR (the blue case was "bleeding" blue).  Since August, an improved second version (looks identical) is available again but it is very very hard to find.  Another two page ad (with Mission To Mars) can be found in the August edition of GQ magazine in Germany.   Update:  National Geographic (September).  Thanks to Carlos Zanotelli and Jörg van Dyk for the photos.
• MoonSwatch Tour in Asia.  Tomorrow (16-SEP), the MoonSwatch Tour will make its first stop outside of Europe:  The Mission To Mars Fiat 500 will be in Hong Kong as announced in a Swatch Instagram story.  It is rumoured that further Fiat 500 cars will stop in other countries in Asia (Thailand?) and America...   So:  The MoonSwatch World Tour is ON now!
• Emirates Team New Zealand specials.  The Emirates Team New Zealand sailing team has issued two Swatch specials:  1. New Gent Emirates Team New Zealand (SUOB702CV, issued in MAY-2020);  2. Chrono Plastic Emirates Team New Zealand (SUSB103D, issued in NOV-2020).  Both watches have the Emirates Team New Zealand logo on the strap and on a special loop around the strap.  Thanks to Fabrizio Mazzucco for the photos.
• Unusual battery compartment.  Who can explain this unusual SwatchXYou battery compartment to me?  It seems to be a combination of "old style" and "new style" battery compartment ring.  Are all recent Gents / New Gents like this?  It is not a production error as I have another SwatchXYou from 2022 with the same style battery compartment...
• Geneva Swatch exhibition.  From 01 to 16-SEP, a fine selection of Swatch watches is on display at Divan Luxury Goods in Geneva, Switzerland.  The exhibition comprises vintage and recent artist specials and other collectable (Moon)Swatch watches.  It is open by appointment only.  See also @myholyobjects.
• Verona Destination special.  A new Swatch Destination special is available since 31-AUG:  Gent Bioceramic Love In Verona (SO28Z112, 80 EURO) is Destination special #79 and it can be bought in Verona (Italy) only.  The watch is packaged in a cigar box style packaging made of recycled paper (as usual now).  Thanks to Andrea Marco Faggioli for the photos.
  
• 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.  Update 2:  Beijing 2022 NOC Liechtenstein (SO28Z104E, loop), Beijing 2022 NOC Monaco (SO28Z104F, loop).  Thanks to Tak Lun Lee, Thomas Chan, Fabrizio Mazzucco, and to Daniel Licata for the photos.
• Hyla Ames lecture.  At the 07-SEP-2022 lecture of the Horological Society of New York (HSNY), watch and jewelry writer Hyla Ames Bauer will discuss the Quartz Crisis in the watch industry during the the 1970s/80s.  Judging from the title photo of this Hodinkee report, I am sure that our favourite watch brand (Swatch) will also be mentioned...  Thanks to Carlos Zanotelli for the hint.
  
• Marcelot artist special?  Swatch has published a new Facebook video about Swatch Faces 2022:  artworks by five former Swatch Art Peace Hotel artists-in-residence at Biennale Arte in Venice.  In this video, Carlo Giordanetti (CEO of Swatch Art Peace Hotel) can be seen wearing a special unknown Swatch.  What kind of Swatch is this?  The white watch is the special Gent How Majestic (GZ711).  The unknown Swatch might be an artist special designed by Brazilian artist Marcelot.  A POP?  We are also waiting for the Swatch artist special by Navin Rawanchaikul (who has created The Description of The World, an installation in Giardini) in September, so maybe there will be an artist Swatch collection soon.  Thanks to Angelo Moccaldi for the hint.
• Jackalope 2022 SwatchXYou special.  A special SwatchXYou Jackalope 2022 Montréal (canvas) has been issued for the Jackalope 2022 Montréal festival (19 to 21-AUG), it is available in the Swatch Canada Online store.  Additionally, a special prefabricated SwatchXYou Jackalope 2022 Montréal (SUOK144-039, limited to 100 pcs, $130 CAD) is available, it has a special loop around the strap.  It is the biggest action sports festival in Canada featuring Skateboard, Bouldering, Breakdance, BMX, BASE Jump, FMX, ...  The watch is available only in Montréal.  Thanks to Thomas Chan for the information and photos.
• Destination Hong Kong Swatches.  Pad Griffin sends the following info:  "It appears that the Destination Swatches for Hong Kong have found a home at Swatch Mong Kok Langham Place following the demise of the Central flagship and Airport stores.".  The (S)watch business in Hong Kong and China is 'complicated'....
• Tresor Magique revisited.  As part of the '90s Week, you can read a nice story about the 1993 Platinum Swatch Tresor Magique at Hodinkee.
• MoonSwatches at La Samaritaine.  Until the end of August, the MoonSwatch watches are available at a Pop-up store at La Samaritaine, Paris.  The Pop-up store also sells the other Bioceramic Swatch watches and it features the Mission On Earth Fiat 500 car.
• Destination specials available at Zurich airport.  Since quite a while (and permanently), almost all Swatch Destination specials are available at Zurich airport (landside).  Tim (Shwatch150 / Shmee150) just took photos of all available Destination watches.  Please count them yourself and try to find out which Destination watches are missing (so far, 78 Destination specials have been issued).  An easy way to complete your collection.
• Long interview with Nick Hayek.  A long and interesting video interview with Swatch Group CEO Nick Hayek can be found on the blick.ch website.  In the 23 minutes interview (in [Swiss]German), Nick talks about the success of the MoonSwatch, the independence of the Swatch Group (enabling such bold decisions as the MoonSwatch), his former career as a film director, and the situation in different watch markets around the world (Russia, China, ...).  Really interesting.
• The Joy Of Swatch.  Hodinkee has published a nice report How Swatch Went From Disrupter To Iconic Brand.  A great read (although nothing really new for the die-hard Swatch collectors :-)
• New Swatch store Hamburg Hauptbahnhof.  A new Swatch store will be opened soon in Hamburg Hauptbahnhof (main train station in Hamburg, Germany).  That's good news after the closure of many Swatch stores in Germany in 2020/21.  Thanks MoonSwatch :-)    Thanks to Fabien Perissinotto for the photo.
• Crankworx Big Bold special.  Crankworx, the world’s biggest gravity-fuelled mountain bike festival, descends on Innsbruck (Austria) from 15 to 19-JUN.  A Big Bold Bioceramic Crankworx Special Edition is now available onsite at the event in the Swatch truck.  Update:  A similar Big Bold Bioceramic Crankworx Whistler (SB03B100E, $175 CAD) is now available in the Swatch Canada Online store, released for the Crankworx Whistler festival (05 to 14-AUG).  Thanks to Thomas Chan for the information.
  
• Neptune MoonSwatch available again.  It seems that the Mission To Neptune MoonSwatch is available again in the shops.  Only very very few pcs of course (a Swiss MoonSwatch store got 1 per day recently).  Mission To Neptune MoonSwatch was withdrawn from sale immediately after the launch on 26-MAR as the blue case was "bleeding" blue a little bit on the wrist.  Now a new mixture for the Bioceramic has been found and an updated version of Mission To Neptune MoonSwatch is available for sale again.  This second version should be optically identical to the first version available at launch.  Hopefully, the crazy prices for Mission To Neptune MoonSwatch will come down a bit.  But it may take some time as tourists and swiss people in (eg.) Zurich are still queuing for the MoonSwatch after all these months....
• Swatch Ballon up in the air.  The well known Swatch Balloon (code HB-BHC, featuring the 80s Gent Nine To Six and the Lady watch Neo Quad) went off for the first flight after many years on 01-AUG in Switzerland.  Here is a photo of the start.  In the 80s, there were four similar Swatch balloons in existence.  Today, one of these is located in England and two of them in Switzerland (owned by a Swiss collector).  The fourth balloon is missing. Thanks to Antonio Greco for the information and photos.
  
• Carlo Giordanetti interview.  Here is an interesting recent interview (in German) with Carlo Giordanetti (Member of the Product and Design Committee Swatch) about MoonSwatch and the recent success of Swatch.
• MoonSwatch Summer Tour.  A MoonSwatch Summer Tour has just been announced on Fratellowatches and Watchpro.  Nick Hayek had hinted at such mobile sales locations in Europe in a recent interview.  Known dates / locations so far:  Biel (12-JUL), Amsterdam (14-JUL), Paris Montmartre (15-JUL), Isola Di Ré (hint).  The teaser photo hints at:  Barcelona, Ibiza, Locarno, London, Marbella, Mykonos, Porto Cervo, St. Tropez and further cities in France, Germany (CW29), Greece, Portugal...  Update:  It is unclear if the watches will be available directly on the location or not (maybe they are shipped later).  Watchpro has some new info:  "Swatch is promising to have MoonSwatches available to buy at each pop-up.".  On the other hand, the Fratellowatches author comments: "Also, I think only pre-orders are available from the cars themselves, no actual watches will be available to purchase directly. Whether it’s home delivery or pick-up at the boutiques, we also don’t know.".  Update:  A special MoonSwatch Summertour webpage on the Swatch website, not much info though unfortunately.  It seems as if Swatch wants to keep the exact dates / locations secret...  Update 2:  Additionally, several new MoonSwatch stores have been opened recently (in Canada, China, Greece, Italy, Switzerland, and USA).  Update: The special MoonSwatch Journey webpage on the Swatch website about the MoonSwatch Summer Tour now shows a huge number of photos of the different stops across Europe.  Amazing!
• Locarno Film Festival 2022 special.  A special New Gent Swatch Locarno75 (SO29Z702, 100 CHF) for the 75th Locarno Film Festival 2022 (03 to 13-AUG) is now on sale in Switzerland, also in the Swiss online store.  The special is packaged in a yellow paper sleeve.  A great watch, finally a real special Swatch.  The cool watch design is by Italian artist Vito Manolo (@vitomanoloroma).
• Swiss Destination specials available online.  On 01-AUG, Switzerland celebrates Swiss National Day.  10 different Swiss Destination specials are available in the Swatch Online Store until 02-AUG.  Additionally, two special SwatchXYou watch are available online in the Swiss Online Store:  1. Festanew (canvas);  2. La Suisse (canvas).
• 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.  Update 2:  A special Biennale SwatchXYou Milk Of Dream (canvas) is now available in the Swatch Italy Online store.  Preprinted Milk Of Dream SwatchXYou watches are available in the Swatch store in Venice.
• Destination specials Pop-up store at Geneva airport.  Until 01-AUG, Swatch is selling many Destination specials at a Pop-up store in Geneva airport (airside, so you need a flight ticket).  Now is the time to complete your collection.  Here are photos of the available Destination Swatch watches (I counted 53 different ones) in the Destination Pop-up store.
• Hors Du Temps Swatch exhibition.  500 Swatch watches will be on display in the Hors Du Temps Swatch exhibition at the Boutique Hors Du Temps store ("out of time") in Champéry (Switzerland) from 17-JUL to 30-AUG.  Swatch watches by artists such as Keith Haring, Folon, Mordillo, Enki Bilal, Hergé, Mimo Rotella, Mika, Rankin, Sam Fancis, ... and early Swatch watches from 1983 onwards (incl. prototypes and Original Jelly Fish will be on display.  Additionally, about 600 Swatch watches will be available for sale.  Update:  Carlos Zanotelli send me photos from the exhibition during the exhibition pre-opening event for Swatch Club Gold & Pioneer members on 16-JUL.
  
• Inside the MoonSwatch production facilities.  Fratello Watches has published a nice exclusive report:  Inside the MoonSwatch production facilities.  Additionally, they recently conducted an interview with Swatch Group CEO Nick Hayek about the MoonSwatch where Nick shared some stories about the time before and during the MoonSwatch Launch (some of these stories were shared with the Swatch Gold & Pioneer members earlier during the MoonSwatch Experience in Biel in May).  Here is a short Instagram Reel with a few impressions from the production facilities.  Update:  Wired Magazine also has a nice long report about the MoonSwatch and how it came to life.
  
• Chinese Valentine specials.  Chinese Valentines Day (Qixi) is celebrated on 04-AUG.  Swatch has launched two special watches to celebrated Chinese Valentines Day:  1. Gent Red Heart By Swatch (SO28Z111, special packaging);  2. New Gent Heart In Blue By Swatch (SO29Z701, special packaging).  A special set (SZS37, 185 EURO) containing both watches will also be available.
• Beach Pro Gstaad special.  The Swatch Beach Pro Gstaad will take place from 6 to 10-JUL as a tournament in the highest category of the Beach Volleyball Pro Tour.  A special SwatchPAY! Super Power Volleyball (SVIB107C-5300) has been released for this event (with a paper loop around the sleeve), it is also available online on the Swiss Swatch Online store.  Update:  Swatch Club Switzerland invited 20 Club members as VIP Guests to the tournament.  Here is a nice report with a few photos by Christine Tanner.
• Swatch Group Apprenticeship Graduation special.  For the Swatch Group apprenticeship graduation 2022, each apprentice received a nice Big Bold Swatch (looks like Big Bold Bioceramic C-White (SB03W100)) with a special apprenticeship graduation 2022 display.  If I counted the list of apprentices correctly, 156 displays were distributed.
• Paris Megastore reopening event.  On 02-JUN, the Swatch Paris Champs-Élysées Megastore was reopened after a long redecoration period.  Thomas Sonneville sent me photos and infos from the Swatch Club reopening event on 02-JUN.  Two special SwatchXYou by Decktwo (aka Thomas Dartigues) will be available:  Decktwo produced 2 canvases: one will be available worldwide (right) and the other one is exclusively available at the Megastore (left). No special watches were produced for this event.  Update:  On the day of the reopening event (02-JUN), the printing machine for the SwatchXYou was not usable, so it was impossible to print the special Decktwo canvases for a few days.  Meanwhile, the printing machine was repaired so Thomas met again with Decktwo for a special signing session.  Update 2:  The worldwide SwatchXYou Decktwo 2 (canvas) is now available in the Swatch Online Store.  Update 3:  Swatch has published a nice video about the Paris Megastore reopening event.  Update 4:  The second "exclusive" canvas is now available in the Swatch France Online store:  Decktwo1 ok (canvas).  A preliminary version of the canvas had an issue with the "2DS" company logo on a truck in the picture...
• MoonSwatch will be available in more locations.  Some interesting MoonSwatch info in a recent interview with Nick Hayek:  1. Swatch plans to introduce "11 flexible retail locations during the summer" in Europe where the MoonSwatch will be sold (I guess popup stores, sales trucks etc.).  2. Swatch will add additional 25 stores selling the MoonSwatch in July and August, including new locations in Switzerland, Thailand, Malaysia and the U.S.   3. The sales of Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch (the expensive original!) have increased in Omega stores by more than 50% since the launch of the MoonSwatch in March.  So I guess that the risk of introducing the MoonSwatch pays off...
• French Destination special available online.  As part of Swatch Celebrates France (14-JUL, Bastille Day), the Bisous De Paris Destination special is available online.
• "iSwatch" Big Bold.  In addition to a "Tick Different" Skin Bioceramic, Swatch has now released a Big Bold in order to further protect the "iSwatch" claim (trademark?):  Big Bold Iswatch Blue (SB01N102).  No "iSwatch" imprint on the watch or strap or loop, though.  Thanks to David Rippmann for the hint.
• Swiss Music Festivals SwatchPAY! specials.  SwatchPAY! is accepted at several Swiss Music Festivals (Openair Frauenfeld [06 to 09-JUL] and Gurtenfestival Bern [13 to 16-JUL]) during this summer and Swatch has now released two SwatchPAY! Swiss Music Festivals specials: 1.  Headtailspay! Openair Frauenfeld (SO32B112C-5300, 100 CHF);  2. Blackback Pay! Gurtenfestival Bern (SVIB105C-5300, 100 CHF).  These specials are only available onsite at the festivals and in three Swatch stores in Switzerland. Thanks to Ines Brem for the information and pictures.
  
• Porto São João special packaging.  For the traditional Festa de São João do Porto (23/24-JUN), Swatch Portugal has released a limited special packaging Swatch Porto - Ed. Sao Jao (SUOZ315SCC, 120 EURO).  The special packaging contains the Destination special Swatch Porto (SUOZ315, Destination Special #64) and is not numbered (according to rumors:  200 pcs).  The packaging is quite big (ca. 40 x 30 x 8 cm) and it is shaped in the form of the traditional funny plastic hammer ("One of the main traditions of São João festival is to lightly pound the head of everyone you meet on the street with a plastic hammer.").  Click here to see a few photos from this amazing street festival a few days ago.  This new packaging is the third packaging version of the Destination special Swatch Porto (special packaging Porto Reserva (SUOZ315SC) is the second packaging version).  Thanks to Paula and Miguel for this wonderful experience.
  

• 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, especially US and "Personaldienst" blister
• Folders, brochures, documentation, advertisement material 1982-86.

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