Stay tuned to
Swatch
This page does not contain any fancy pictures but I hope to provide some
substantial information for collectors. If you want to see some pictures
of interesting swatches then go to my virtual
swatch museum. Although I am probably a bit biased, it is highly recommended
, especially the section about special packagings.
Older Swatch info (Last updated: 09-DEC-2024)
- Blancpain X Swatch finally available online. After
one year, the Blancpain
X Swatch Scuba Fifty Fathoms Collection is finally
available for purchase online since 20-SEP. But it is
still quite restricted as only three BxS watches are available (Atlantic
Ocean, Pacific
Ocean, Indian
Ocean) and only in the USA
("Due to very high demand, the shipment of this product may be
delayed") and Australia. So the rest of the world is still
waiting for online availability...
- ESA Earth SwatchXYou specials. One year after
the 2023 ESA Space SwatchXYou
specials, the European Space
Agency (ESA) and Swatch
have unveiled a second collection of seven SwatchXYou watches: ESA
Earth: 1. Chad
(canvas); 2. Flinders
(canvas); 3. Glacier
(canvas); 4. Larsen
(canvas); 5. Rhine
(canvas); 6. South
America (canvas);
7. Subset
(canvas).
- Paris 2024 Olympics NOC special. For the Olympic
Games Paris 2024 (26-JUL to 11-AUG), the first NOC special
has surfaced, it is a Bio-sourced Gent: 1. NOC
Paris 2024 Hong Kong (SO28Z124K,
loop around the strap). Here
is a close-up of the watch face. More country watches: 2. NOC Paris 2024 Australia (SO28Z124D); 3. NOC
Paris 2024 Austria (SO28Z124E,
loop around the strap); 4.
NOC Paris 2024 Germany (SO28Z124J,
loop around the strap); 5. NOC Paris 2024 Portugal (SO28Z124O, loop
around the strap); 6. NOC
Paris 2024 Monaco (SO28Z124W,
loop around the strap); 7. NOC
Paris 2024 Chinese Taipei (SO28Z124X,
loop around the strap); 8. NOC Paris 2024 Brazil
(SO28Z124?) 9. NOC Paris 2024
Morocco (SO28Z124?).
Thanks to
Tak Lun Lee, Thomas Chan, Roberto Geremia, Daniel Licata and
Fabrizio for the photos.
- MoonSwatch finally available online. After two and a
half years, the MoonSwatch is finally
available for purchase online since 04-SEP. But it is
still quite restricted as only four MoonSwatch watches are
available (Mission
On Earth, Mission
To The Sun, Mission
To The Moon, Mission
To Mars) and only in the USA
("Due to very high demand, the shipment of this product may be
delayed") and China
and Australia. So the rest of the world is still waiting for
online availability...
- Paris Olympics 2024 IOC special. A nice Paris Olympics
2024 IOC special (with the Olympic rings on the dial) has surfaced:
Irony Sistem 51 Petite
Seconde Blue IOC (ref.no. SZ23Z4???). Here
is a close look at the watch face. The regular version without
the Olympic rings was released in 2020: Irony Sistem 51 Petite
Seconde Blue (SY23S403).
- Paris Olympics Hospitality special. A special
Bio-sourced New Gent Paris
2024 Official Hospitality (SO29G109)
has been distributed as a special
commemorative gift included in the Paris
Olympics VIP Hospitality packages. The Paris
2024 Official Hospitality watch looks very similar to the
New Gent Green Backside Wave
(SO29G108, packaging). Except for
the different loop around the
strap, I cannot spot a difference. So: Why does this
special have a different ref.code? It should have been
SO29G108C, right? (because it is "only" a strap variant)
- Swatch Pop-up store @ Paris Olympics. The Maison
Suisse (House of Switzerland) at the Paris Olympics (in
the Garden of the Swiss Embassy in Paris) also contains a Swatch
Pop-up store.
- "Blue Hour" MoonSwatch. In a cryptic Instagram
teaser, Swatch is hinting at a new "Blue
Hour" MoonSwatch special: "Available from 01 to 19-AUG,
but only after 5pm". Could it be a blue
Snoopy Moonphase watch? 19-AUG is "Blue Moon" Full
Moon. 04-AUG is New
Moon. On 23-JUL, Swatch has unveiled the newest addition
to the MoonSwatch
product line and no, it is not a "Snoopy" MoonSwatch. Mission
To The Super Blue Moonphase (SO33N700, 315 EURO).
The MoonSwatch has a "Panda dial" and
a multi-shade blue moon phase with UV ink
(with "SUPER BLUE MOON" inscription), that is set against a dark
celestial background and positioned at the 2 o’clock subdial.
For the first time with MoonSwatch, a blue Pulsometer
scale ("Gradué Pour 30 Pulsations") is used (instead of a
"Tachymètre" scale). The watch will be available from 01 to
19-AUG after 5pm in a quite limited number of Swatch stores (Germany
only 4, Switzerland only 6 etc.). More details and photos can be
found here.
Update: Mission To The Super
Blue Moonphase will also be sold in several Pop-up stores,
eg. at the Blue Cargo
beach bar in Biarritz (France) from 03
to 10-AUG. Update 2: At the Blue
Hour bar at the Swatch HQ in Biel, circa 14 Mission
To The Super Blue Moonphase watches are sold every
day. Thanks to Bernd
Eigler for the photos.
- Nico Rosberg MoonSwatch. During the Hungarian
Formula One Grand Prix on 21-JUL, former Formula One
champion Nico
Rosberg was wearing a
MoonSwatch Mission To Mercury.
- Swatch store Firenze by Lorenzo Petrantoni. The
Italian Swatch artist Lorenzo
Petrantoni has contributed to the design
of the new Swatch store Firenze (Italy). In 2012, Lorenzo
Petrantoni has designed five
black and white Swatch watches.
- Locarno Film Festival 2024 special. A special
Bio-sourced What If? Swatch Locarno77
(SO34Z100, 120 EURO) for the 77th
Locarno Film Festival 2024 (07 to 17-AUG) is now on sale
in the Swatch online store, probably worldwide. The special is
packaged in a paper box (open
box). This time, the watch was not designed by the artist
who designed the official poster
for the Film Festival (Annie
Leibowitz). The watch
was first "leaked" during the presentation
of the Locarno Film Festival at the Biblioteca
Cantonale in Bellinzona on 10-JUL. Thanks to Christine Tanner for the information.
- Swatch Proteam collection. Swatch has launched a new Swatch
Proteam collection consisting of four watches created by four Swatch
Proteam icons: 1. Skin Irony Coco
Ho Blu (SYXG127, 182 GBP, packaging)
by surfing sensation Coco
Ho; 2. Big Bold Bio-sourced G-Turn
(SB05K105, 135 GBP, packaging) by BMX
flatland star Matthias
Dandois; 3. Big Bold Bio-sourced The
Pilgrim - Tread On It (SB05K103, 125 GBP, packaging)
by British freeride MTB sensation Sam
Pilgrim; 4. Bio-sourced New Gent Time
With Andy Anderson (SO29J101, 106 GBP, packaging)
by skateboarding virtuoso Andy
Anderson.
- ETA Apprenticeship 2024 special. Swiss movement
manufacturer ETA develops and
produces calibres for the watch industry (ETA is part of Swatch
Group). A new special ETA
Apprenticeship 2024 special has surfaced, it was handed
out to the 160
ETA apprenticeship graduates of 2024.
- SwatchXYou Summer In Space Collection. Swatch
has partnered with British artist Edward
Carvalho-Monaghan, known for his detailed and dreamlike
aesthetic. Two SwatchXYou imagining Summer
in Space have been released: 1. Astral
Airport (canvas);
2. Holiday
Vortex (canvas).
- Colors Of Joy collection. On 11-JUL, Swatch
will release a new Big Bold collection called Colors
Of Joy: It consists of six colorful biosourced Big
Bold watches in bright neon colors: 1. Pink
Joy (SB05P102, 115 GBP); 2. Orange
Joy (SB05O103, 115 GBP); 3. Navy
Joy (SB05N116, 115 GBP); 4. Yellow
Joy (SB05J103, 115 GBP); 5. Turquoise
Joy (SB05L101, 115 GBP); 6. Purple
Joy (SB05V103, 115 GBP).
- Maxi Swatch in German TV show. A well used and
yellowed Maxi Swatch Vasily
(MLW111, 1987) was recently sold for 200 Euro in the German TV show Bares für Rares (a bit similar to Antiques Roadshow).
The TV show expert had estimated a
value of 120-150 EURO. You can watch the ZDF
TV show (from 01-JUL) online here,
the segment with the Swatch Maxi starts at 22:53 and later at
31:50. Hopefully, it is not geoblocked. Some German
websites also had a news
snippet about the Maxi Swatch.
- Beach Pro Gstaad 2024 special. The Swatch Beach Pro Gstaad
will take place from 3 to 7-JUL-2024 as a tournament in the highest
category of the Beach Volleyball Pro Tour. The Swatch website
has a special section
about the Beach Volleyball tournament in Gstaad. A special
Swatch Beach Pro Gstaad
2024 has been released for this event.
- New Stuttgart Swatch store. A new
Swatch store will open its doors in Stuttgart, Germany,
Stiftstraße, probably mid July. Thanks to Franz Stegner for the photo.
- New Mission On Earth MoonSwatch release! On
07-JUN, Swatch has release a "teaser" Instagram
reel hinting at some new (Moon)Swatch watches later in June,
maybe as early as next week. The Instagram reel shows some
"fire, water, earth and air" (my guess), so it may be 3 or 4 new
watches (we already have Mission
On Earth).... Let's get the speculation started [and
check out the Swatch stores for some new suitcases(?)]! Update:
A second Instagram
reel on 09-JUN shows a new, smaller MoonSwatch
suitcase, so 3 or 4 new MoonSwatch watches seems to be
right. Update 2: On 12-JUN, Swatch has unveiled three
new Mission
On Earth MoonSwatch watches, showcasing earth from
space: 1. Mission On Earth - Lava
(SO33O100); 2. Mission On Earth -
Polar Lights (SO33L103); 3. Mission
On Earth - Desert (SO33T103). These three watches
are not limited and they will be available for sale starting 15-JUN
for 275 EURO each. In the Swatch stores, the watches are
displayed in a nice new suitcase.
Here is a photo
of the suitcase in Cologne (Germany) and here
is a closeup of the watches. Thanks to
Klaus-Dieter
Klein for the photos.
- New Blancpain X Swatch straps. Two Blancpain
X Swatch Bioceramic
Scuba Fifty Fathom swatches are now available with vibrant color
straps: 1. Pacific
Ocean (SO35P100, old strap was
more black); 2. Indian Ocean (SO35I100, old
strap was more black);
- Paris 2024 Olympics specials. For the Olympic
Games Paris 2024 (26-JUL to 11-AUG), three
new Olympic specials are now available in the Swatch stores in
France and also online
worldwide (since 30-MAY): 1. Bio-sourced New Gent Green
Backside Wave (SO29G108, 90 EURO, packaging,
Surfing); 2. Plastic Chrono Blue Heelflip
(SUSN420, 130 EURO, Skateboard); 3. Bio-sourced Gent Purple
Rollshot (SO28V700, 75 EURO, packaging,
Volleyball). Thanks to
David Catel for the photos.
- Swatch Finder is back! After many years of
unavailability, it seems that the Swatch
Finder is (currently? permanently?) back on the International
Swatch website! It now has a database of more than 8000
watches. If you search for an older specific watch which is
out of stock at Swatch, be sure to click "All watches" instead of
the default "Available watches", otherwise, you will not get a
useful search result... Thanks to Brian Martin for the discovery.
- Inside ETA Manufacture report. Hodinkee
Japan has a nice detailed report Inside
The Manufacture (Google
translation) about the recent success of MoonSwatch, a visit to
the ETA
factory W35 (Boncourt, Sistem51), and an interview with Swatch
Group CEO Nick Hayek. The report includes a lot of great photos,
so check it out! Update: On 06-AUG, an English
translation was published on hodinkee.com.
- Swatch CEO Alain Villard interview. Monocle online
magazine has a nice interview
with Swatch CEO Alain Villard.
- Zermatt Destination SwatchXYou. Another prefabricated
Destination SwatchXYou special is now available in Zermatt,
Switzerland since 16-MAY: Greetings
From Zermatt SXY (SUOK144-066,
100 CHF). The watch is prefabricated Destination SwatchXYou
special #7,
packaged in the brown Destination paper sleeve. It seems that
quite a few older Destination specials are "sold out" / "out of print"
in the meantime.
- Nemo and the Drive Thru Store. On 11-MAY, Nemo
(Swiss rapper and singer from Biel) has won the Eurovision
Song Contest 2024 in Malmö, Sweden. Congratulations,
winning with the best song in the competition! In June 2019,
Nemo was present at the opening
of the first Swatch Drive Thru Store in Biel near Swatch
HQ. Back then, Nemo was the first to buy
a Swatch in the new store (video).
Thanks to Carlos
Zanotelli for the information.
- Paris 2024 Olympics Volunteer / Staff specials. For
the Olympic Games
Paris 2024 (26-JUL to 11-AUG), Swatch will release two
specials which are not available for sale to the general public:
1. Olympics Paris
2024-Volunteers (SO28Z123-5300,
packaging); 2.
Gent SwatchPAY! Olympics Paris 2024-Staff
(SO28Z130-5300). The Swatch website has more
information about the Volunteer special. The photos of these
watches can be found when using the SwatchPAY! App. Thanks
to Oscar for the information.
- Shareholder special 2024. On 08-MAY, the
annual Ordinary
General Meeting of Shareholders of Swatch Group was held in a virtual setup. Every
shareholder who registered in time will receive a special Shareholder
Swatch Swiss Ride (SO32Z108)
as a gift (as every year). Thanks to Carlos Zanotelli for the photos.
- NEON 2024 collection. Swatch has revamped six iconic
80s & 90s watches with vibrant colours, boosted designs, and
unique details and the NEON
2024 collection has been released on 02-MAY: 1.
Bio-sourced New Gent Swatch Neon Rider
(SO29G106, 77 GBP, packaging) refers to
the original 1988 Gent Neo Rider
(GG103); 2. Plastic Chrono Swatch Neon
Wave (SUSJ404, 115 GBP, packaging)
refers to the very popular original 1991 Chrono Neo
Wave (SCJ100); 3. Bio-sourced Gent Swatch
Neon Pink Podium (SO28K111, 67 GBP, packaging)
refers to the original 1990 Lady Pink Podium
(LK119); 4. Big Bold Swatch Neon Jelly
(SB02K100, 145 GBP, packaging)
refers to the very popular original 1993 Chrono Jelly
Stag (SCK104); 5. Plastic Chrono Swatch
Neon Flash Arrow (SUSG408, 115 GBP, packaging)
refers to the very popular original 1991 Chrono Flash
Arrow (SCL100); 6. Bio-sourced Skin Swatch
Neon Hot Racer (SS08K119, 106 UKP, packaging)
refers to the original 1988 Lady Hot Racer
(LK115). Two of the watches in the NEON collection are also
available in selected countries as SwatchPAY! : 1. Swatch
Neon Pink Podium Pay! (SO28K112-5300, 77 GBP); Swatch
Neon Jelly Pay! (SB02K101-5300, 155 GBP).
- Simpsons Graduation special. On 02-MAY, Swatch has
released a new addition to the Simpsons
Collection, right in time for Graduation Day: A
Bio-sourced Gent Class Act (SO28Z118, 86
GBP), featuring Lisa carrying a stack of books on the dial. The
watch is also available in selected countries as SwatchPAY! Class
Act Pay! (SO28Z119-5300, 96 GBP).
- Swatch X Verdy collection. Swatch presents a
collaboration with famous Japanese graphic artist Verdy
at Biennale Arte
2024 in Venice, Italy (Swatch is a main sponsor). An
imposing 4-metre bronze-colored figure of
Vick (a panda-rabbit
character) has been unveiled on 18-APR at the Giardini.
At the same time, a limited edition Bio-sourced Gent special Vick
Bronze By Verdy (SO28Z701, 91 GBP) has been released for
sale by Swatch, packaged in a black paper
box (open box). Update:
On 25-APR, four more watches in the Swatch
X Verdy collection were launched worldwide: 1.
Bio-sourced New Gent Visty By Verdy (SO29Z140,
96 GBP, packaging); 2. Bio-sourced
New Gent Vick By Verdy (SO29Z138;
96 GBP, packaging); 3. Bio-sourced Gent
Girls Don't Cry By Verdy (SO28Z129,
86 GBP, packaging); 4. Bio-sourced
New Gent Wasted Youth By Verdy
(SO29Z141, 96 GBP, packaging).
Additionally, Visty By Verdy is
available as a limited edition Maxi Swatch (length 2,10 m), price is
surprisingly high (430 GBP!): Maxi
Visty By Verdy (MSO29Z140, 430 GBP, packaging).
After two weeks, the Maxi is not yet sold out, probably due to the
high price. Previous Artist Maxis from the last years sold out
very fast (only a few hundred were made). The limited edition
size is not known for the Maxi Visty By
Verdy.
- Biennale Arte 2024 special. A Bio-sourced New Gent
special watch to celebrate 60th
International Art Exhibition in Venice has been released:
Biennale Arte 2024 (SO29B112, 90
EURO). The watch will be worn by volunteers at the event, sold
in the Biennale
stores and in selected Swatch stores in Venice. Designed in
collaboration with the Paris-born and Palermo-based Claire
Fontaine collective, this special Swatch sports the words
“FOREIGNERS EVERYWHERE” – the Biennale Arte 2024 theme – on the
dial. The watch is packaged in the red eco packaging with a
special "FOREIGNERS EVERYWHERE" paper loop
around the sleeve. Additionally, Swatch presents six
talented former artists-in-residence from the Swatch
Art Peace Hotel (Shanghai) in Venice at the Swatch
Faces 2024 exhibition at the Arsenale.
- The Nines Snow 2024 special. Swatch
Nines Snow 2024 took place in Schilthorn (Switzerland) from
09 to 13-APR. A special Swatch Nines
Snow 2024 (S029B113)
was released, a (so far unreleased) New Gent with "Time
Is What You Make Of It" on the dial with a special The
Nines strap. Very few pieces (maybe only 25) were
available for sale to the general public, the rest was distributed
to athletes, VIPs etc. I
assume that this watch will be available for sale with a different
strap soon everywhere. During Swatch Nines 2024 Snow, three
world
records were set for Highest Air!
- Laurent Stefani Fragments OF TIME. VIsual creative
artist Laurent
Stefani (Swatch Club
Pioneer member since the last millennium) has produced very nice
sculptures with Swatch watches and other creative fields (music,
lightning, ...) since 1991. Laurent has now revamped his website
so check out the Fragments
OF TIME (and the rest
of the website of course): Neon,
Colors,
"Flextricity",
and so much more... Amazing stuff!
- Two Snoopy MoonSwatch specials! On 19-FEB, Swatch has
published a second
Snoopy Instagram reel. This time, the reel shows a
birthday cake with two candles (one black and one white, probably
hinting at the second
MoonSwatch anniversary on 26-MAR-2024). The first
Snoopy Swatch Instagram reel was published on 25-JAN-2024.
Update: Snoopy MoonSwatch will be released on
26-MAR-2024 (2nd MoonSwatch anniversary). On 15-MAR, Swatch
published a large ad in
Financial Times Switzerland and other newspapers around the
world depicting a Snoopy (dog) paw on the moon (and a "(C)
2024 Peanuts Worldwide LLC" copyright notice in the lower right
corner), with a date 26-MAR-2024... Update 2: On
20-MAR, Swatch published an Instagram
reel hinting at a moonphase
subdial on the upcoming Snoopy MoonSwatch (incl. fluorescent
statement: 'I Can't Sleep Without A Night Light!'). The
internet is already going crazy with eBay
preorders selling for more than 3000 GBP?!? Update
3: On 21-MAR, Swatch unveiled the newest
addition to the MoonSwatch product line on Instagram:
The all white, non-limited Mission
To The Moonphase (SO33W700, 270 GBP). The top right
subdial features a Snoopy
moon phase indicator, with a special hidden 'glow
in the dark' message: 'I Can't Sleep Without A Night
Light!' The backside of the watch features a special "Snoopy
paw on the Moon" battery cover. Discover all details about
the Moon Phase Indicator on the special Mission
To The Moonphase page on the Swatch website. Mission To The Moonphase
will be sold in selected
Swatch stores around the world on 26-MAR. In Taiwan, the
watch was also unveiled in a large newspaper
ad. Update 4: On 26-MAR (2nd anniversary of
MoonSwatch), Mission
To The Moonphase was released in many participating
Swatch stores around the world with long
queues as expected. The number of available watches was
often surprisingly low so some disappointment among the early queuers
(numbers collected from various resources): Basel 20, Zermatt
15, Crans-Montana 15, Zurich 100, Bern 50, Biel 30, Munich 50,
Mannheim 15, Düsseldorf 25, Liverpool less than 30, London Covent
Garden 50, Milano 50, Toulouse 25, Paris 40, Strasbourg 25,
Thessaloniki 5, Macau 10, Hong Kong 30, Melbourne 30, Philippines 14,
Las Vegas 50, San Diego 30, Houston less than 30, Los Angeles 24,
Austin 25, Honululu 25, San Jose 15, Vancouver 16, Burnaby Canada 15,
... Many customers got a free mini
UV light as a gift with purchase. The watch is packaged in
a white box with a nice Snoopy
imprint and a little booklet.
Update 5: The Snoopy story continues: On 31-MAR, Swatch
has published a new
Snoopy video on Instagram, with Snoopy unable to blow out the
black candle on the cake with the two candles (white and black).
"The internet"
is now speculating
that a second
Snoopy MoonSwatch may be released, this time in black
color. 08-APR is a likely release date. Update
6: On 05-APR, Swatch announced the second Mission To
The Moonphase watch on Instagram
and in large newspaper ads (eg. Süddeutsche
Zeitung Germany): Mission
To The Moonphase - New Moon (SO33B700, 270 GBP).
The non-limited black MoonSwatch will be sold in Swatch stores around
the world on 08-APR. Again, Snoopy, NASA’s safety ambassador
since the 1960s, is featured lying on the
moon on the moon phase disc, which rotates in the
subdial set at 2 o’clock. Thanks to Carlos Zanotelli for the photos and to Thomas Chan for
the hint.
- SwatchXYou Swiss Timing special. A Swiss
Timing SwatchXYou special has surfaced (closeup
of strap), probably a B2B special distributed by Swiss
Timing (a Swatch
Group company). Thanks to
Daniel Licata for the photos.
- A Tour of the SISTEM51 factory in Boncourt. Fratello
Watches has a great report A
Behind-The-Scenes Look At The Swatch SISTEM51 — Including A Tour
Of ETA In Boncourt, with many photos and an interview with
Swatch CEO Alain
Villard. Two interesting details in the
interview: 1. "...the SISTEM51 movement in the Blancpain X
Swatch Scuba Fifty Fathoms can indeed be replaced." I did
not know this; 2. "... the SISTEM51 movement used in the Scuba
Fifty Fathoms undergo a further 14 days of testing once
cased.", so these movements are specially selected (mine runs fine
with only very few seconds deviation).
- New Big Bold Irony straps. The five "metal
strap" Big Bold Irony watches (with the colorful closed
dial) are now available with colored
(non-metal) straps in Switzerland only. Thanks
to Andrea Marco Faggioli for the photos.
- Swatch X Tate Art Journey 2024 collection.
Swatch invites to a Swatch
Art Journey in London (an immersive art experience at 180 Studios) from 21 to
23-MAR. Here
are some impressions from London.
The Swatch
X Tate Art Journey 2024 collection has now been unveiled
in London in conjunction with the Tate
Gallery. It will be released in two batches (March and
April), seven watches in total:
21-MAR:
04-APR:
Each watch exists in two strap versions:
For the UK, the watch has a small
loop "TATE" (ref.code with additional "C" at the end).
For the rest of the world, the watch has a larger
loop "TATE Gallery" (standard ref.code), exception: SO28Z127
(two loops).
- German TV report about the "clock giant 'Swatch'".
German TV science magazine Galileo
has published a nice report about Swatch: Schrill,
bunt, Kult: Wie tickt der Schweizer Uhren-Gigant "Swatch"?
It features a review of Swatch history in the 80s and 90s, an
interview (at Swatch HQ!) with Swatch CEO Alain
Villard, a visit to the SISTEM51
factory (ETA in Boncourt), a meeting with a Swatch collector (Robert-Jan
Broer from Fratello Watches), and a visit to the Swatch store in Düsseldorf.
Highly recommended!
- SwatchXYou Lunar Zodiac Collection. Swatch has released
a new SwatchXYou
Lunar Zodiac Collection featuring the distinctive work of
former Swatch
Art Peace Hotel artist-in-residence Feng
Bin. He stayed at the Hotel in Shanghai in 2021. His
eye-catching designs depict scenes from the fairy tales of each Lunar
Zodiac animal, bringing them to life for a modern audience. The
collection consists of twelve watches: 1. Dragon
(canvas); 2. Rat
(canvas); 3. Monkey
(canvas); 4. Ox
(canvas); 5. Snake
(canvas); 6. Rooster
(canvas); 7. Tiger
(canvas); 8. Horse
(canvas); 9. Dog
(canvas); 10. Rabbit
(canvas); 11. Goat
(canvas); 12. Pig
(canvas).
- Nike SB 20 Years special. A very limited Swatch New
Gent special Nike SB 20 Years
(SUOB402F) has been distributed to
friends and family of Nike
SB (Skateboarding) in 2022. The watch is packaged in
a very nice paper sleeve.
- R.I.P. Pigcasso. The world famous painting pig Pigcasso
has died a few
days ago in South Africa. In 2019, Pigcasso designed one
of the most successful limited art Swatch releases of the last
years: Flying Pig By Ms
Pigcasso (SUOZ299S) which sold out very quickly.
Rest In Peace or as Pigcasso would say: "Less meat. More
art. Oink on."
- Time to Inspire Storyboard Competition. Swatch
is a sponsoring partner in the UK Time
to Inspire Storyboard Competition. This
competition is open to inspired young filmmakers who have a
story idea for a short film and would like to win the chance to get it
made.
- Swatch Art Journey London. Swatch invites to a Swatch
Art Journey in London (an immersive art experience at 180 Studios) from 21 to
23-MAR. Reserve
your participation now, time slots are limited.... A new
Museum collection with seven Swatch watches is coming soon I guess, in
conjunction with a famous London Museum.
- Swatch Nines 2024 events. Swatch has published a special
page about the upcoming Swatch
Nines 2024 events: 1. Snow 13-APR
Schilthorn (Switzerland); 2. MTB 14-SEP Sölden
(Austria); 3. Surf
17-OCT Waco (USA).
- MoonSwatch Suitcase Charity Auction. Omega
(not Swatch!) is auctioning (though Sotheby’s)
eleven of the infamous blue
Omega X Swatch suitcases each containing the eleven
Mission to Moonshine Gold MoonSwatch specials release in
2023. These blue suitcases were never available for sale
before. 100% of the online MoonSwatch
Moonshine Gold Auction Omega For Orbis proceeds (bidding
from 12 to 24-FEB [the next full moon!]) will be given to Omega's
favourite charity organization: Orbis
International and its Flying Eye Hospital. This is
the very first time that these rare models are offered together in one
set, and even more important: the first time that the special
blue suitcase is available for sale. From 01 to 11-FEB, the
eleven Mission to Moonshine
Gold suitcases are on display at eleven OMEGA Boutiques
around the world: Zurich, Tokyo, Bangkok, Singapore, Hong Kong,
Beijing, New York, London, Milan, Paris, and Sydney. The
suitcases are unique, as they contain a golden monocle with the OMEGA
x Swatch logo, and a one-of-a-kind
coin, engraved with the 3-letter aviation code from their
displayed city (such as HKG for Hong Kong). This same code will be engraved on the side of
all watches within the suitcase for that particular city (so
each of the 121 Mission to Moonshine Gold watches in the
eleven suitcases is a unique watch!). Bravo to Omega and Swatch for
initiating this charity auction, I expect lots of $$$ for a good cause
(totally out of reach for us Swatch collectors I guess)... Some
more details and photos at Hodinkee.
Update: A few photos
of the actual blue suitcase at Omega in
Singapore. Update 2: The eleven lots
(individual suitcases) at Sotheby's are online
now. Estimate is 5,000 - 10,000 CHF (no reserve). A nice
new webpage
at Sotheby's about the auction. Update
3: On 19-FEB, five days before the end of the auction,
bids for the suitcases are between 30000 CHF (Sydney, Hong Kong, Toky,
Singapore) and 42000 CHF (New York). Update 4: The
eleven auction lots ended on 24-FEB after an intense bidding activity
(but no "last seconds bids" as on eBay). Total results for
charity: 534,670 CHF (incl. buyer's premium):
Lot No.
|
City
|
# bids
|
Final price (CHF)
|
1
|
Sydney
|
48 |
44,450 |
2
|
Beijing
|
62 |
60,960 |
3
|
Paris
|
62 |
53,340 |
4
|
Hong
Kong
|
59 |
44,450 |
5
|
Milan
|
63 |
48,260 |
6
|
Tokyo
|
41 |
44,450 |
7
|
Singapore |
58 |
38,100 |
8
|
Bangkok
|
63 |
48,260 |
9
|
London
|
48 |
44,450 |
10
|
New
York |
44 |
57,150 |
11
|
Zurich
|
50 |
50,800 |
TOTAL
|
|
598 |
534,670 CHF |
Thanks to Ed Chung for
the photos.
- Mother's day / Father's day Simpsons specials. Two
more Simpsons specials have been released by Swatch for Mother's day
and Father's day: 1. Bio-sourced Gent BEST.
MOM. EVER. (SO28Z116, packaging,
100 EURO); 2. Bio-sourced Big Bold BEST.
DAD. EVER. (SB05Z100, packaging,
145 EURO). Availability of the watches in different countries
varies (depending on the day of celebration of Mother's day / Father's
day).
- MoonSwatch Suitcase Fractionalization. Do you want to
own a fraction of the blue MoonSwatch suitcase? Swatch Club
Pioneer member Carlos Zanotelli is looking for supporters
to purchase the OMEGA x Swatch 'Zurich Edition' blue
suitcase. Check it out!
- Four additional What If? watches. A teaser
by Swatch Italy on Instagram (with Italian Rapper Dargen
D'Amico) unveils a new
addition (rose color) to the Bioceramic What If?
collection. In total, four new
square What If? watches in pastel colors will be
released: 1. What If Lemon
(SO34J700); 2. What If Mint
(SO34G701); 3. What If Rose
(SO34P700); 4. What If Sky
(SO34S700).
- Web Exclusive Big Bold Valentine's special. A Web
Exclusive Big Bold Valentine's special is now available on the Swatch
website: Big Bold Bio-sourced It's
A Pleasure (SB03Z104, 125 GBP). The watch is being advertised with a slightly frivolous touch:
'The
ultimate "blue pill"','Make your love grow', etc. It's
only available for purchase if you are at
least 18 years old :-) Looking forward to see photos of the
packaging...
- No Mission To Moonshine Gold January WOLF Full Moon. As
suspected / expected, Swatch has not released a new Mission
To Moonshine Gold for the Wolf
Moon: Full Moon in January 2024 (25-JAN). Swatch has
posted a howling Snoopy
video on Instagram on 25-JAN. Only a joke or can we
expect a Snoopy
MoonSwatch soon? The teasing continues....
- Power Of Nature collection. A nice Instagram
teaser has announced a new Power
Of Nature collection consisting of four Irony
Swatch watches: 1. Irony New
Chrono By The Bonfire (YVB416, 265
EURO); 2. Skin Irony Sunbaked
Sandstone (SYXM100, 215 EURO); 3. Big
Bold Irony Frostbloom
(SB07S116G, 220 EURO); 4. Skin Irony 42 Splash
Dance (SS07S143G, 220 EURO). Update: This
report (archived version)
contains photos of three additional Power Of Nature watches
(bio-sourced?) which will probably be released at a later time (in
March?): Skin / Big
Bold / New Gent.
- New Omega X Swatch collaboration? According to this
Corriere Del Ticino report, Swatch will announcea new
Omega X Swatch Speedmaster collaboration in the next weeks. It
may be a project related to a charity organization for children.
Thanks to Agostino Pagani for
the hint.
- Simpsons Valentine's Day collection. As
unveiled in Taiwanese online magazine Mixfit
(Google
Translate), Swatch will release two nice special Simpsons
watches for Valentine's Day on 18-JAN: 1. Bio-sourced New Gent Sweet Embrace (SO29Z120, packaging);
2. Bio-sourced Gent Angel Bart
(SO28Z115, packaging).
- Black "Ocean Of Storms" Blancpain X Swatch.
A mysterious newspaper ad
has appeared in Germany (Süddeutsche Zeitung), Italy (Corriere della
Sera), and Switzerland (Financial Times) on 05-JAN, hinting at a Ocean
Of Storms special on 11-JAN (first new moon of 2024). Will
we see Blancpain X Swatch specials in 2024 for every new
moon? Maybe not: "Ocean
Of Storms" (Oceanus
Procellarum) is a vast lunar mare on the western edge of the
near side of the Moon. So probably another MoonSwatch? Or
Blancpain
X Swatch? Update: Instagram
teaser published on 08-JAN (following the usual playbook
:-) Update 2: On 09-JAN, the Swatch
website has been updated with a list of stores where the black Ocean
Of Storms special will be available on 11-JAN. In
Germany, the watch will be available in Hamburg
and in Düsseldorf. Additionally, a special black
Fiat 500 is now on display in Tokyo (probably at the Nicolas
G. Hayek Center in the Ginza district), and Lugano
(front / back).
Update 3: The new Ocean
Of Storms special has been unveiled by Swatch
on Instagram: It is a non-limited black sixth Blancpain
X Swatch Ocean
Of Storms (SO35B400, 400 EURO), available worldwide on
11-JAN in selected
Swatch stores. You can find more information on Hodinkee
and Fratello
Watches. As there are only five oceans on
earth: The new black Ocean of Storms
Swatch features an illustration of the Oceanus
Procellarum (Ocean of Storms) region of the moon and the Okenia
Luna nudibranch in digital print. Please note that
Swatch has increased the prices in Europe, so BxS watches now
cost 400 EURO (instead of 390 EURO), MoonSwatch cost 275 EURO (instead
of 265 EURO) etc. Update 4: According to Hodinkee,
Ocean Of Storms has some secret luminescence on the caseback.
Thanks to Franz
Stegner and to Andrea Marco Faggioli for the photos.
Andreas Wiethoff
