Stay tuned to Swatch - Archive 2015

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.

news from 2015 are below:

"Super" Lot Swatch Auction. A Swatch collection of 322 watches (a "Super" lot) will be auctioned on 17-DEC at www.auctionata.de. Starting price is 15,000 EURO (plus approx. 30% buyer's premium plus 19% VAT is added to the purchase price for deliveries within the EU). This won't be an easy sale I guess. Update: Indeed, the lot did not sell on 17-DEC, you can now buy the whole lot for a whopping 35.390 EURO (or best offer).
Swatch Club Canada Holiday Party 2015. On 12 and 13-DEC, the first ever Holiday Party by Swatch Club Canada took place in Toronto. Gold member Elvin Rawlins sent me the following report with a few pictures.
Energie-Agentur. The Swiss Energie-Agentur der Wirtschaft (EnAW, Energy Agency Swiss Private Sector) has issued a special Solar Swatch: Energie-Agentur (SRM101D). It is a Solar Sunscreen (SRM101) with a special strap and in a nice paper sleeve. Thanks to Christine Tanner for the picture.
Freeride World Tour 2016 special. For the Swatch Freeride World Tour 2016, Swatch has issued an official FWT watch, Backcountry (SUOB720C), a New Gent with a special imprint on the leather strap.
IOC special. A new IOC special with Olympia logo has surfaced (at least it was not featured on this webpage before), it was probably distributed in 2012: A Skin White Classiness IOC Special (SFZ118), based on the Skin White Classiness (SFK360) from 2011.
Solvay special. The chemical company Solvay has issued a special Gent Solvay (GM171C), a Gent Flaky Blue (GM171, 2011) with a special strap. The watch is packaged in a nice paper sleeve.
Joana Vasconcelos special. During the Swatch Faces 2015 press conference, the new art special Lookseasy (SUOZ212S) by Portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos was briefly presented. Probably, the packaging is not yet ready. Here is another picture of the watch (still from video). Joana Vasconcelos also has another great project Giardino dell'Eden for the Swatch Pavilion at Giardini. It was unveiled on 07-MAY. Update: This blog post has more information about the watch: Each dial is unique and hand made (a first for a Swatch!) of silver, gold plated metal filament in the workshop of Joana Vasconcelos in Portugal: Men are working on the inner, thicker part of the dial and women are 'knitting' the thin filaments on the outer side of the dial. Afterwards, the dials are abraded and assembled at ETA in Switzerland. 999 pcs will be produced and the watch will be sold in September at around 100 EURO. Update 2: On 23-OCT, the art special Lookseasy (SUOZ212S) was finally launched during a press conference with Joana Vasconcelos in her studio in Portugal. The watch comes in a nice golden special packaging, limited to 999 pcs. The price is 265 EURO, more expensive than originally rumoured. This is due to the fact that a lot of manual work went into the production of each watch, adjusting the handmade dial to the watch case. The watch will go on sale on 13-NOV. Update 3: Here is a newspaper report from Austria about the Joana Vasconcelos special. 20 pcs will be sold in Austria. Only 10 pcs for Germany and 4 pcs for the Netherlands! 50 pcs for Switzerland and only 2 pcs for India. Update 4: 90 pcs for China, 30 pcs for Hong Kong, 6 for Taiwan, 12 for Singapore, and only one for Malaysia. There is a variant of Lookseasy with a "mirrored" dial. Apparently, one (group?) of worker(s) put the handmade dial into the case upside down (=mirrored). At the Xmas event in Venice, about 150 pcs were sold and we found quite a few variants with number 12x and 56x etc. I estimate that 10-20% of the Lookseasy watches have the variant dial. Update 4: The last number 999 of the Swatch Lookseasy will be auctioned online from 14 to 18-DEC for the charity Casa das Cores. The watch is numbered, dated and signed by Joana Vasconcelos. The current bid is now at 1000 1700 EURO! Update 5: Final price 2000 EURO! Great result for the charity!
2016 Valentine's special. According to this blog, the Valentine's special for 2016 is a Gent Tender Present (GZ300). It has a nice imprint "Handle With Care" on the back of the strap. The watch comes in a nice red plastic box. The watch will be available starting mid January, price is 70 EURO.
Mystery Vintage Boxes in the US. Starting Black Friday, 27-NOV, the Mystery Vintage Boxes will be available again in the US. Three older Gent or Lady or X-Large / Jelly In Jelly in a nice box for $70 US. Great deal! The following eleven sets are available: Lady 1 / Lady 2 / Lady 3 / Gent 1 / Gent 2 / Gent 3 / Gent 4 / Jelly In Jelly & X-Large 1 / Jelly In Jelly & X-Large 2 / Jelly In Jelly & X-Large 3 / Jelly In Jelly & X-Large 4.
Swatch Club UK Xmas Event 2015. On 05-DEC, the traditional Swatch Club UK Xmas event took place in London. Charlotte and Bob Gardner sent me the following report with a few pictures.
Chinese New Year special 2016. 2016 is the year of the Monkey according to the traditional Chinese calendar. The Chinese New Year will be celebrated on 08 and 09-FEB-2016. As in the last years, Swatch is releasing a special watch to celebrate the Chinese New Year 2016: A New Gent Lucky Monkey (SUOZ203). It comes in a nice special packaging with a little red monkey. The version with the little red monkey is probably limited and numbered, it will only be available in China. For the rest of the world, there will be a packaging with ref.no. SUOZ203 without the red monkey. Update: Sophia Chang tells me that there is no SUOZ203S with the little red monkey in China (and other countries). So the little red monkey is probably a shop display only (if it exists :-)
Goldman Sachs Bank special. In the 90's, a special Skin Goldman Sachs Bank was issued, probably in the UK.
Xmas special 2015. According to this news report, the Xmas special 2015 is a New Gent called Lucinfesta (SUOZ201S). It comes in a nice special packaging and it is limited and numbered to 8888 pcs. Price is 105 EURO. Update: Lucinfesta is available in the shops now and there is a special page on the Swatch website featuring the Happy Holidays collection. Update 2: Play the Snowman in Vegas online game and win a Lucinfesta Xmas special 2015!
Biennale retrospect. Swatch has launched a microsite biennale.swatch.com which looks back at the exhibtions created / curated by Swatch at the La Biennale di Venezia.
Mystery Box special. The Swatch European online store (at least UK and Germany) has a Mystery Box special for Black Friday. Pick one of the Swatch Mystery Boxes for 20 UKP / 30 EURO when you buy a Swatch watch for the chance to get another Swatch. You can get one of the following five watches: 1. Irony Automatic Noir De Noir (YAS402); 2. Gent (Kidrobot) Midnight Magi (GB249); 3. Square Ecailles D'Argent (SUBK130G); 4. Skin Fiocchi Di Stelle (SFK279G); 5. Irony Chrono Gangleader (YCS457). Austria seems to have different watches for the Mystery box promotion (29 EURO). Update: Here is a picture of the German Black Friday Mystery box.
Lisbon city special. A new Lisbon city special was unveiled on 25-NOV: A New Gent Lisboa (SUOZ211) in a nice special packaging. The watch has also a nice pattern on the back of the strap. It comes with information in Portuguese and English about the seven "must-see" sights in Lisbon. Pedro Mota sent me a few pictures from the launch of the watch: outside of the palace / watch presentation / room decoration 1 / room decoration 2 / portuguese music. Update: Here is a short video from the Lisboa launch event (in Portuguese). The Lisboa watch will only be available in Portugal.
Venice Xmas Club event / special. The traditional Swatch Club Xmas event 2015 took place in Venice, Italy from 13 to 15-NOV. 156 club members from all around the world participated at the event and were able to visit La Biennale di Venezia during two separate afternoon visits. To commemorate the event, a beautiful Diaphane Chrono 1001 Swatch Club Nights (SVCZ1000AGS) was given to the club members. The watch is limited to only 200 pcs (numbered on the back, on the sticker, and on the packaging. The watch has a very nice blue / golden dial and bezel and a beautifully decorated blue / orange metal strap. The watch is packaged in an orange / blue plastic box which can also be used as a candle holder (as Carlo Giordanetti told us :-) Update: Here is a detailed report about the Xmas event in Venice, with many pictures.
Philippines Ode To The Flag special. According to this news report, Swatch plans to release an Ode To The Flag artist special on the Philippines on 14-NOV. The watch is designed by Philippine National Artist Benedicto “BenCab” Cabrera, the second watch he designed for Swatch after the successful Sabel art special. Update: Here is a picture of the New Gent Ode To The Flag (SUOZ218). A Maxi version of the watch also exists. Here and here are press reports from the launch event. Update 2: A giant Maxi in the Ayala Mall in Makati also exists. Thanks to R.J. Valdez for the pictures.
Treviso Swap Market #TSM15. On 12-NOV, before the Swatch Club Xmas event in Venice, Nicolò and his team from the Swatch Store in Treviso had organized the first Treviso Swap Market (#TSM15) in Treviso. Here is a small report with a few pictures from the Swap Market. Thank you Nicolò and everyone else for a great pre-Xmas event! A Swap Market event special (actually two different ones, silver and gold) had also been prepared in a limited edition of 25 pcs each. The watches are also numbered xx/25 on the back and they come in a nice paper sleeve.
OurSwatch Quattro unveiled. After four years in the making, OurSwatch Quattro (SUOZ194S) has finally been unveiled at the traditional Swatch Club Xmas event in Venice. The opportunity to create this watch in a limited edition of only 100 pcs was auctioned in NOV-2011 in Hong Kong during the auction of the Blum collection. For the full story about the watch and lots of detail pictures, check out www.lot7.de. Update: Here are a few pictures by Christine Tanner from the launch of the watch at the Arsenale area at La Biennale di Venezia.
Jeremy Jones special. Jeremy Jones is a professional snowboarder and a member of the Swatch Proteam. Swatch has invited him to create his own Sports special, an Irony Chrono The Journey Is The Reward (YVZ400). The silhouette at the 12 o'clock position on the bezel is the Grand Teton in Wyoming, his favourite mountain. The watch is not limited. But according to this report, a limited edition version of the watch called Deeper Further, Higher (YVZ400S, limited and numbered to 150 pcs, 250 CHF) will also be available. This limited special packaging comes bundled with Jeremy's new book No Words for the Way Down, which presents a collection of photos, stories and behind-the-scenes adventures. Update: secondwatch.it has a few great pictures from the launch of the watch in Zurich on 29-OCT. Here is a picture of the pass for the event. The limited special packaging will also be sold on 11-NOV during a book presentation in New York City. Update 2: Here are the official pictures by Swatch Club from the launch in Zurich. Update 3: Here is a picture of the packaging of the unlimited regular version. Update 4: Here are a few pictures from the book presentation at NYC’s OpenHouse/Bowery Station Space. A few limited specials may still be available at Swatch stores in the USA. Thanks to Fabrizio Mazzucco for the pictures.
Schmid / Muller collection. Marlyse Schmid und Bernard Müller are the first designers of early Swatch watches, starting in 1981. For example, they designed the famous Breakdance special in the style of Keith Haring. If Elmar Mock and Jacques Müller represent the inventors of Swatch, Marlyse Schmid and Bernhard Müller can be described as the ones who gave Swatch its identity. On 10-NOV in Geneva (Switzerland), Sotheby’s will sell the Schmid Müller collection of almost 1,000 Swatch timepieces dating back to the early days of the brand in the 1980s, including 380 prototypes and models that have never been for sale, in a single superlot. Here is the official press release for the auction. Bloomberg has a small video news report about the auction. Here is another news report with a great picture of the Keith Haring sketches. This collection will fetch millions, that's for sure... Update: I have collected some of the press info & photos. Update 2: Here is an interview with Marlyse Schmid about the collection. Update 3: Some photos by Jean-Bernard Mani, Yannick Durand, and Kouroche Amini from the public exhibition in Geneva. Update 4: So I was wrong with my "millions" prediction. Lot 134 was sold for 1.330.000 CHF (Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium). I think that the collection went to a floor bidder (who wants to remain anonymous). Not exactly a bargain but well worth the price in my opinion. Thanks to Christine Tanner and to Roy Porello for the hint.
The most expensive used Chronos ever? Pierre Brice (1929-2015) was a French actor, best known as Apache-chief Winnetou in many German Karl May films. He was really popular in Germany and other German speaking countries. On 07 and 08-NOV, thousands of his personal belongings and souvenirs were auctioned in Berlin. His famous "Silverbüchse" rifle went for 65000 EURO (plus 25% fees). Back to Swatch: His "working watches" were three Swatch watches from the early 90: A Rollerball Chrono, a Goldfinger Chrono, and a Mint Drops flex Scuba. They were sold as lot no. 2213. The final prize for these watches was amazing: 550 EUR + 25% fees = 687,50 EUR. My bid of 60 EUR was way too low :-)
EPO special. No, not Erythropoietin. The European Patent Office (EPO) has its own Swatch special: EPO (GB747H), a Swatch Gent Seventy's Gold (GB747) from 2001 with a special imprint www.epo.org on the black strap.
The Haas Swatch Collection. Rainer Haas has (the husband of Suzie Quatro) been a passionate Swatch collector since 1993 and he has built one (the?) of the most impressive Swatch collections over the last 20 years: 33 x Kiki Picasso, 07 x Puff watches, 27 x Keith Haring, 02 x Oigol Oro, 21 x Breakdance, and much much more. You can checkout and browse his collection at haas-collection.de. A complete catalogue is also available for browsing and for download (press the "save" icon in the lower left). Update: Three videos showing the highlights of the collection are now online: Kiki Picasso, Keith Haring & more, and Samples & Prototypes.
Sigrid Calon specials. Dutch illustrator and designed Sigrid Calon has announced on Facebook that she is working on a Swatch watch. The watch will be presented in September at the Arsenale in Venice. Previously, she has designed a poster for the Swatch Eye magazine. Update 1: The very, very nice Gent special Duet In Blue And Red (GZ298S) is already on sale in London and it is limited to only 999 pcs. Price is 76 UKP. The box contains two additional goodies: A small toy with two translucent discs which mimic the discs on the watch face (so you can see what the face will look like at specific times) and a flipbook with printed variations of the watch face at different times. Update 2: Besides the strictly limited edition watch, a second New Gent Duet In Green And Pink (SUOZ208) will be available in November in a limited edition of 9999 pcs. The watch is packaged in a nice paper sleeve. Update 3: During the Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven, Netherlands, Swatch invited 50 Swatch Club members to a signing session with Sigrid Calon. The second New Gent Duet In Green And Pink (SUOZ208) was first sold there during the event. Here are a few photos from the event by Toty Booms. Thanks to Kevo Thompson for the information.
Paris Champs-Elysées special. A new special Gent Swatch Champs-Elysées (GN239C, a Gent Porticciolo (GN239) with two special loops around the strap) is available at the Swatch Megastore in Paris (and only there!). It comes packaged in a nice paper sleeve. The watch is not limited.
Paris Sneakerness special. Swatch is the sponsor of the Paris Sneakerness sneaker convention which took place in early September 2015. A special Swatch Black Rebel / Sneakerness Paris 2015 (SUOB702N) was released, limited to 100 pcs. The watch is packaged in a nice paper sleeve.
Changes to Skin Swatch. Again, Swatch has made a last minute change to a watch from the Fall / Winter 2015/16 collection: The Skin Honeycomb (SFB144) from the not yet released Après-Ski collection is shown with floral design in the printed catalogue but now the silver dial is much simpler (dots). Here you can see the difference in more detail. The watch will be released in November.
Swatch loves art in Hong Kong. At the Hong Kong Sea Port hall 2F, 19 Maxi watches are on display and several Maxis will be painted between 05 and 25-OCT. You can apply with your design until 20-SEP, the winner is invited on 06-OCT for a painting session. More details and pictures in this report from Hong Kong (google translation). Update: Swatch has posted a few pictures from the exhibition., Swatch Creative Director Carlo Giordanetti was also present in Hong Kong. About 100 Swatch watches are on display. Thanks to Sophia Chang for the information.
Interlaken Jubilee special. On 22-AUG, Swatch The Club celebrated its 25th anniversary with about 70 invited Gold & Pioneer members at a phantastic Jubilee Event in Interlaken, Switzerland. During the event, a very nice Gent special Grüezi Swatch Club (GZ297S) was launched. The special is limited to 2525 pcs and it is packaged in a nice metal milk can. Here is a picture of the opened milk can. The back of the loop has the imprint "Interlaken Jubilee". The watch is available only at the Swatch store in Interlaken, nowhere else. The Interlaken Swatch store has recently been opened and it is the biggest Swatch store in Switzerland. Currently, it is the best selling Swatch store in the world (between 500 and 1000 Swatch watches daily!), it even sells more Swatch watches than Times Square in New York. I will add a small report with a few photos from the event soon, meanwhile, you can enjoy the photo gallery and a great video on the official Swatch webpage. The special is also available as a Maxi Swatch Maxi Grüezi Swatch Club (MGZ297) with a slightly different design of the face and the strap. The Maxi version is not limited and is should be available worldwide soon. Update: The Maxi has red hands and not golden hands as shown in the catalogue. Update 2: Very late but better than never: Here is a detailed report about the Jubilee Event in Interlaken, with many pictures. Thanks to Alain Choisy for the update.
Second Club watch 2015. The Second Club watch 2015 was designed by the artist Soonja Han. The New Gent This Is My Map (SUOZ198S) is limited to 2525 pcs and numbered. It was launched in New York City in mid September. UK launch is on 16-SEP. Update: Here is a detailed report about the Second Club Watch Launch in New York, with many pictures.
London Fashion Week Pop-Up store. Swatch is the official watch & timekeeper of the London Fashion Week (18 to 22-SEP). During the week, Swatch launches a Street Energy Pop-Up store at Golden Square. You can also win a Swatch Mood Board (GW706) by posting a picture.
Vogue Fashion Night special. On 22-SEP, the Vogue Fashion's Night Out event will be held in Milano (also on 17-SEP in Firenze). A special Swatch VFNO 2015 (GW706C) will be available, packaged in a nice paper sleeve. It is a Gent Mood Board (GW706) from the current collection, with a special new strap.
Swatch Women’s Pro Trestles specials. From 09 to 20-SEP, the seventh stop on the 2015 World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (WCT) is held at “Trestles” near San Clemente, CA. Two special event watches have been released, designed by Swiss artist Serge “Lowrider” Nidegger: 1. Upper Trestles (SUOR103C); 2. Lower Trestles (SUOB116C). Both watches are available in the Swatch Online store and they are packaged in a nice paper sleeve: packaging SUOR103C / packaging SUOB116C. Swatch has published a nice detailed description of the watch strap by Lowrider.
Zurich AirPainting. Swatch has transformed Zurich Airport into a live art studio: Zurich AirPainting. Eight young Swiss painters have been invited for a live performance. You can also win a Swatch watch by voting for the favorite artist. Additionally, artist Stephen Dean (he previously designed the Painted Time watches for Swatch in 2002) has installed a huge colorful artwork at the Zurich airport.
Taiwan Cow Mug. If you spend more than NTD5000 (136 EURO) in a Taiwan Swatch store, you get a nice gift with purchase: A Swatch cow mug. Thanks to Sophia Chang for the information and picture.
Milano Pop-up store. According to this tweet from Swatch Italy, a new Swatch Pop-up store (completely new design!) has opened its doors at Piazza Gae Aulenti in Milano.
LafargeHolcim merger special. Recently (15-JUL), a new leader in the building materials industry (cement) has been created following the merger of Lafarge and Holcim: LafargeHolcim. To celebrate the merger, every employee received a nice special LafargeHolcim merger packaging containing a special Gent Swatch LafargeHolcim. It looks like a unique Swatch as it looks very similar to the Gent Black Suit (GB247) but with a red seconds hand instead of a black seconds hand. The logo of the new company is printed on the strap.
More Singapore SG50 specials. Two more Singapore SG50 Swatch specials are available: 1. Cherry Berry/SG50 (GR154N); 2. Across The Town/SG50 (SKK1000F). Both specials cost SGD 69 (approx. 45 EURO).
Swatch sponsors Beach Volleyball / special Touch Zero One Swatch. Swatch is the new title sponsor of the newly introduced Swatch Beach Volleyball Major Series FIVB World Tour. Additionally, Swatch has launched a special Beach Volleyball Touch Swatch: Touch Zero One. The press release and this report has more details about the three special functions for players and fans: Step Counter, Power Hits and Power Claps. You can also connect the watch to the free Touch Zero One App. The watch was launched in Zurich on 26-FEB in the presence of several Beach Volleyball players, Swatch CEO Nick Hayek, and FIVB President Dr Ary S. Graça F°. Update: According to this newspaper report, the watch will be available on 01-AUG, price is 135 CHF (about $140 US). This report shows a nice video about the Swatch Touch Zero One. Later this year, a Swatch Touch Zero Two for snowboarders will be released and a Swatch Touch Zero Three is also in the works. Update 2: At the Swatch Group's Annual Results Press Conference 2014, Nick Hayek revealed that the Swatch Touch Zero Three is for surfers. A Swatch Touch Zero Four for the Olympics and a Swatch Touch Zero Five for cooking(!) is also in the works. Update 2: At the annual shareholder assembly of Swatch Group, Nick Hayek announced that Swatch Touch Zero One will be sold in August in Switzerland and another "big country" (probably USA or China). A new contest Swatch Touch Zero One Challenge is now online at the official Swatch homepage. You can win a set of the official event watches and take part in the main draw. The lucky winner of the main draw will get a trip to the Swatch Beach Volleyball FIVB Season Final in Fort Lauderdale, USA. Update 3: According to this news report, the Swatch Touch Zero One will be presented to the press on 30-JUL at the 2015 CEV A1 Beach Volleyball European Championship presented by Swatch in Klagenfurt, Austria. Update 4: The Swatch Touch Zero One has been launched in Klagenfurt, you can find all the details on a special page on the Swatch website. The Touch Zero One collection consists of four watches: 1. Sunzero (SUVN100); 2. Skyzero (SUVW102); 3. Subzero (SUVN101); 4. Stripezero (SUVW101); 5. ? (SUVT100). I don't see that the Touch Zero One model that Nick Hayek was wearing during the press events (black case!) is part of the collection. Strange as this is the best of the initial collection. Here is a picture of the actual watches and here is a picture of the packaging. Update 5: www.watch-insider.com has a nice report about the launch in Klagenfurt including a great interview (explaining all the technical details) with Carlo Giordanetti, the Creative Director of Swatch. The watches are on sale now in Austria and Switzerland (also in the online store), the rest of the world follows in September. The price is 135 Swiss Francs / 120 EURO. Update 6: Alain Choisy tells me that it is recommended to buy the watch in a local Swatch store if possible as you need the right size of the strap which ensures good contact to the watch for the special functions. The local Swatch store carries four strap sizes: ES, S, L and XL while the online store only carries 15,50 cm and 17 cm (both sizes are rather small). And the Swiss "newspaper" blick.ch has a nice report about the Swatch Touch Zero One, including a short video test.
Lady Carmorange withdrawn and replaced. It seems as if the Lady Carmorange (LO108, part of the current Sport Mixer collection) has been withdrawn from sale and replaced with a new model Camodots (LO109), not listed in the current catalogue. 12 green dots have been added to the initial design. My local Swatch store never received Carmorange (LO108). The new model is more consistent with the designs of similar watches from the current collection: 1. Camovert (LG128); 2. Camojaune (LJ110).
Grüezi All @ EXPO Milano 2015. On 01-AUG (the Swiss National Day), Swatch Club Italy had invited its members to the Expo in Milano. You can browse a photo album from the Grüezi All @ EXPO Milano 2015 event on Facebook. The club members also received a few nice goodies.
Swatch Grüezi All! collection. On 01-AUG (the Swiss National Day), Swatch will release a Swiss themed collection called Grüezi All! Swatch Italy has tweeted a short video clip promoting the collection. The collection will consist of six watches: 1. Gent Schoggi (GC114); 2. Gent Die Glocke (GB285, fantastic strap!); 3. New Gent Swiss Around The Clock (SUOR106); 4. New Gent Moitié-Moitié (SUOW118, my favourite); 5. Gent Gornergrat (GM183); 6. Irony Chrono Muuu (YCS585). Update: If you buy two Swatch watches from the Grüezi All! collection in Switzerland and one other of your choice (could be a Grüezi All! as well of course), you get a free special packaging for the watches. Here is a picture of the closed box.
Beach Volleyball Major Series 2015 specials. Swatch has launched two special New Gent watches for Swatch Beach Volleyball Major Series FIVB World Tour: 1. Pomme-Tech / BVB Major Series (SUOG110C, 990 pcs); 2. Myrtil-Tech / BVB Major Series (SUOO102C, 980 pcs). The two watches are packaged in a nice paper sleeve. They are currently available in the Swatch online store. Update: For the 2015 CEV A1 Beach Volleyball European Championship presented by Swatch in Klagenfurt, Austria, the watches carry an extra Klagenfurt loop (and the print of the event logo on the bottom part of the strap is also different): 1. Pomme-Tech / BVB EM 2015, Klagenfurt (SUOG110D); 2. Myrtil-Tech / BVB EM 2015, Klagenfurt (SUOO102D). These city loops are also available for the other tour stops. The Klagenfurt watches come in a special paper sleeve, dedicated to the event. Thanks to Ines Brem and to Alain Choisy for the pictures and to Nicolo for the hint.
Chinese Valentine special set. Swatch has launched the first Chinese Valentines Day special limited edition watch set: Cheng Shuang Cheng Dui. Lan (SUOZ204) and Cheng Shuang Cheng Dui. Bai (SUOZ205). This set is only available in China and it is limited to 2500 pcs. Both watches are delivered in separate identical boxes. Chinese Valentines Day (Qixi) is celebrated on 20-AUG. Update: Here is a picture of the actual watches with the packaging. Thanks to Sophia Chang for the picture.
Swiss Olympic Team special. A special Swiss Olympic Team Random Ghost (SUOK111E) has been released, I assume that it was distributed for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sotchi. The watch has a special strap with the Swiss flag and the Olympic Rings. Thanks to Christine Tanner for the pictures.
Lugano Film Festival special. After a break of a few years, Swatch is now a new partner for first feature films at the 68th Festival del film Locarno (05 to 15-AUG). The film festival is also featured on a special page at the official Swatch webpage. A special Swatch Sucess Way / Locarno (SUOB106C) has been released in Switzerland to celebrate the film festival. The watch (a New Gent Success Way (SUOB106, 2013) with a special strap) is packaged in a nice paper sleeve. It is available in all Swatch stores in Switzerland.
Salzburg store birthday. On 18-JUL, the Swatch Store in Salzburg celebrates its birthday. Swatch ProTeam members Clemens Doppler and Alex Horst (Beach Volleyball) will be present in the store from 11 to 12am and sign autographs. Recently, Clemens Doppler showed a broken nose and many Swatch watches on Facebook. The red Gruezi All packaging is the generic papersleeve for all Gruezi All watches, so it is nothing superexciting.
ITS Contest winners. The winners of the ITS contest (International Talent Support) have been announced. Some of the previous winners worked at the Swatch Lab and have designed a Swatch watch.
Wristory Auction photos. On 03-DEC-2001, Swatch held the Wristory charity auction in New York City. Barry Crell just sent me his photos from the auction. As digital cameras were quite uncommon in 2001, it is great to see these pictures! I think that it is also evident that the Original Jelly Fish auctioned in NYC does not look like an original 1983 Jelly Fish! It looks like a reissue from the late 80s!
New iSwatch. The Touch Speed It Up (SURB119) from the current collection is fitted with an iSwatch loop (probably to protect the iSwatch trademark [it has to be used 'actively']). I am unsure if all Speed It Up watches have this iSwatch loop or not (at least it is shown with the iSwatch loop on the official Swatch webpage). I assume that this iSwatch loop version is produced in low numbers. It is currently available in the Australian(!) online store. Thanks to Holger Brinkmann for the pictures.
Israel Museum special. A special Swatch 50th anniversary of the Israel Museum (SUOK111F) is available at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. Here is a closeup. It is a Swatch New Gent Random Ghost (SUOK111) with a special strap. The watch is limited to 1000 pcs, not numbered and it is packaged in a paper sleeve. Thanks to Hetto Dijkstra for the information and pictures.
Win signed Beach Volleyball Swatch watches. You can win two tickets for the 2015 Beach Volleyball European Championship presented by Swatch in Klagenfurt, Austria (30-JUL to 02-AUG), including two Beach Volleyball Swatch watches signed by Swatch Proteam players Clemens Doppler & Alexander Horst. During this event, the Swatch Touch Zero One will be presented to the press.
Summer Splash Special Club Watch. Europe´s biggest graduation festival Summersplash is currently "on" in Kizilagac, Turkey. Thousands of students from Austria are partying during the summer. Swatch is a co-sponsor of the festival and organizes the Swatch Holi Festival of Colours. All students can join the Swatch Club for free at Starter level. If they pay and join the Swatch Club at Premium level, they get a special Summer Splash version (SUOZ195C) of the current club watch This Is My World (with an extra Summer Splash loop).
Swatch Club anthem. At the Gold & Pioneer Event in Berlin in May, the Gold & Pioneer members recorded a song ("We Are Swatch Family") in a professional recording studio at the nhow Hotel. A video was shoot as well. The final result has just been published on swatch.tv: Gold & Pioneer Event 2015 – Song Recording
GlaxoWellcome Queens Award special. In 1999, UK company Glaxo Wellcome received a Queens Award for its Diskus inhaler device. A special Gent Swatch Glaxo Wellcome Queens Award (GK209J) was released to commemorate the award. It comes in a nice presentation case. The watch is a Gent Transparent (GK209) with a special imprint on the strap. Distribution and limitation is unknown so far.
European Games special. A Baku 2015 (GS144C) special has been released for the 1st European Games in Baku, Azerbaijan (12 to 28-JUN). The watch was given to supervisors (paid staff) at the Games (not to volunteers).
Swatch Primeline Munich special. On 27-JUN, the Swatch Prime Line FMB (Freeride Mountain Bike) event will take place in Munich, Germany. A special New Gent Myrtil-Tech / Prime Line Event (SUOO102J, 333 pcs) will be released. The watch is packaged in a nice paper sleeve (actual, signed watch). It is available exclusively in the Swatch Store Marienplatz in Munich and on site during the Swatch Prime Line event. Update: A few collectors could enjoy the Swatch Prime Line event in the VIP section on top of the Swatch truck in the middle of the race track. Check out my pictures from the Prime Line Event. Here is a wonderful foto story about the Swatch Prime Line event.
Pope Francis wears a Swatch. Pope Francis is wearing a Swatch watch: A Gent Once Again (GB743), a classic evergreen which was launched 15 years ago in 2000. Back in 1991, Swatch has mailed four Chronos to Pope John Paul II after he was unable to get a Swatch Chrono in Italy.
Eva & Adele signing session. On a very short notice, Swatch had arranged (within one day only!) a signing session with Eva & Adele at the Swatch Store in Basel, Switzerland. This was possible as Art Basel is currently open to the public in Basel. About 25 club members were present in Basel, Eva & Adele patiently signed their New Gent art special Futuring by Eva & Adele (SUOZ200) for about one hour. In Basel, only the unlimited, unnumbered version SUOZ200 was on sale. Fortunately, I had brought my numbered Venice special :-) Here are a few pictures from the signing. Thanks to everyone from Swatch for making this possible, it was a blast! Way to go! Update: More pictures from the event on the Swatch Facebook page.
Two exclusive SISTEM51 watches at LCM. On 12-JUN, Swatch has launched two new SISTEM51 watches at the London Collections Men (LCM) menswear fashion event: 1. SISTEM Navy (SUTN400); 2. SISTEM Incognito (SUTT400). So far, these two watches are only available at the London Oxford St. store. A third new SISTEM51 watch is rumoured as well: SISTEM51 Tangerine.
Place Vendôme 15th anniversary. On 25-JUN, the special Swatch store at Place Vendôme, Paris, celebrates its 15th anniversary (it was opened on 29-JUN-2000). Two special Swatch watches will be released to celebrate the 15th anniversary and the upcoming Fall / Winter collection 2015 / 2016 will be presented during a cocktail reception for 25 invited club members. Thanks to Rodolphe Foucart for the information.
A hippo and a Swatch store. During the recent floodings in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, several wild animals roamed the streets of the town after the floodwaters damaged the city's zoo and set many of the animals free. A photo of a hippopotamus standing confused in front of a Swatch store was shown on many news reports.
Interlaken special. A special Gent Dr Zwüsche (GW705C) is available at the Swatch Store Interlaken in Switzerland (and only in this store!). The watch is a Gent Poppy Field (GW705) from 2015 with a special Interlaken loop and it comes packaged in a nice paper sleeve. Thanks to Ines Brem for the pictures.
Swatch unrelated report. The topic of this report is "part-time employment and women" but the illustrating photo is somewhat interesting :-)
Gold & Pioneer Event 2015. The traditional Gold & Pioneer Event took place from 14 to 17-MAY in Berlin, Germany. The event in Berlin was special as 25 years of Swatch Club and 20 years of Gold & Pioneer is celebrated in 2015. About 140 club members participated at the event, including 16 new gold members. A nice Gent special Happy 20th (GZ295S) was released to commemorate the event. The watch comes in a familiar packaging (gold instead of silver) and it is limited to 200 pcs. The number is printed on the back of the watch, on the packaging, and on the sticker. It has two special loops ("20th" and "Berlin"). The face of the watch shows a few nice symbols (Cow, 20th, Swatch shape, 26 [swiss cantons]). Some of these symbols are already known from the current club special This Is My World (SUOZ195). Here is a detailed report about the Gold & Pioneer event 2015 in Berlin, with many pictures. Update: Swatch has published a great video about the event!
Free Battery replacement in Swatch stores. According to this Facebook note, you can get a free battery replacement for your Swatch watch(es) in the official Swatch stores in Europe, USA, and Canada. This offer is not limited, neither regarding the number of watches that you bring nor regarding the time period. If you plan to bring a large number of watches, please call your store first. Good news after all those price increases in the recent months...
Swatch Mirror Tunnel / Art competition. Check out the ultra-cool Swatch Mirror Tunnel at the Upper Ground Floor, SM Mega Fashion Hall in Manila, Philippines. This report has more details about the Mirror Tunnel. The Swatch Mirror Tunnel also promotes and serves as inspiration for the ongoing Create and Innovate: Essence of Switzerland Art Competition, in partnership with the Embassy of Switzerland in the Philippines. Click here for more information about the art competition. The competition is open to all, ages 18-30 years old.
Treviso event specials. On the weekend after the G&P event in Berlin (23/24-MAY), an event called Un'Ombra Per Il Ciba took place in Treviso, Italy. It was organized by the Treviso Jeweller De Wrachien for the 90th anniversary. Two special Swatch watches were released on the weekend, secondwatch.it has details and pictures: 1. Un’Ombra Per Ciba (Flaky Yellow - De Wrachien, IT; GJ132C), here is another nice picture of the watch; 2. Sardee In Saor.
Swatch at Biennale Arte 2015. Swatch will bring art & artists from the Swatch Art Peace Hotel in Shanghai to the Biennale Arte in Venice, Italy (09-MAY to 22-NOV-2015). Swatch will be present in two areas of the Biennale: Selected artists-in-residence from the Swatch Art Peace Hotel will be working ?live? as guests of Swatch at TESA 100, a historic address in the Arsenale Nord. Also, a renowned contemporary artist will create a work for Swatch on site at the Giardini area, site of thirty historic national pavilions. Update: On 16-MAR, a press conference was held for the 56th International Art Exhibition of la Biennale di Venezia, hosted by ?Swatch? at the Swatch Art Peace Hotel in Shanghai. More pictures here. Update 2: secondwatch.it has a photo of the new Biennale Gent special All The World's Futures (GB743I). It is a Gent Once Again (GB743) with a special strap, packaged in a nice paper sleeve. Update 3: Here is a video with the highlights of the Swatch Faces 2015 press conference on 07-MAY in Venice. Update 4: www.watch-insider.com has a nice report with a lot of pictures from Venice. Update 5: This blog post has some great additional personal impressions from the Swatch Faces 2015 press conference. Update 6: Besides the 2015 Biennale Gent special All The World's Futures (GB743I) which is on sale at the Biennale and some selected stores in Italy, a second 2015 Biennale special has been released: Twice Again - Biennale Arte 2015 (SUOB705C). The watch is also packaged in a paper sleeve. I assume that this watch is not for sale and that it has been given to the staff at the Biennale.
Grand Train Tour of Switzerland special. In order to promote the tourism of Switzerland, SwissTravelSystem.com has launched the Grand Train Tour of Switzerland in 2015. A special Swatch Grand Train Tour of Switzerland has been given to employees of Swiss Tourism. It is an Irony Big Charcoal Suit (YGS744) from 2011 with a special pin on the strap. The watch comes packaged in a nice red paper sleeve. The watch is packaged in a special box (closed / open) with an additional personal dedication.
Shareholder Assembly 2015 special. On 28-MAY, the annual shareholder assembly of Swatch Group took place in Grenchen at the Swiss Velodrome. Each participant (about 3497) received a special New Gent Roll It All (SUOZ206) as a present. The watch is limited to 3999 pcs and it comes packaged in a nice red paper sleeve. The imprint VegüV on the dial relies to Verordnung gegen übermässige Vergütungen bei börsenkotierten Aktiengesellschaften (Ordinance Against Excessive Compensation). As a small joke / protest against this new bureaucratic law, the text of the law is fully printed on a small blue roll of paper which is 1,87 meters(!) long. Thanks to Christine Tanner and Ivo Meier for the pictures.
Samuel Anthamatten special. Swatch Proteam member Samuel Anthamatten from Switzerland has designed a special New Gent Swatch called Swatch The Route (SUOZ199S) which will be released in early June in a limited edition of 4478 pcs. 4478 meters is the height of the Matterhorn which is featured on the dial of the watch. The watch has black hour and minute hands with an ice axe and hook for the courageous climber. The watch is packaged in a Plexiglas box (with a number xxxx/4478) that is held in a canvas pouch.
60 Bpm – The sound of Swatch. The Italian composer and sound artist Chiara Luzzana has created new music called 60 Bpm – The sound of Swatch that has become the soundtrack of Swatch and the Arsenale Pavilion at Venice Biennale 2015. www.watch-insider.com has a nice report about the music and also a nice video documentary explaining the creation of 60 Bpm – The sound of Swatch. The video is especially interesting as it shows lots of details from the production facilities at Swatch.
Swatch Club Welcome package. Here is a picture of the new Swatch Club Welcome package for 2015/16. Pay attention when unboxing!
Fall / Winter Collection 2015/16. This blog post has some sneak preview pictures of the Swatch Fall / Winter collection 2015/16: pic1 / pic2 / pic3 / pic4 / pic5 / pic6.
Eva & Adele special. secondwatch.it reports that the Eva & Adele special Futuring will (very likely) be unveiled on 08-MAY in Venice, Italy. Update: The New Gent art special Futuring by Eva & Adele (SUOZ200) has been unveiled during the Swatch Faces 2015 press conference on 07-MAY in Venice. The watch is available in two versions: 1. A limited and numbered edition of 585 pcs in a shiny box in pink and gold (SUOZ200S). The limited edition costs 95 or 105 EURO (after 15-MAY) and it is already on sale in Venice and possibly some other cities (Milano, Italy only?). An unlimited but otherwise identical edition (SUOZ200) will be available in early June. It is not clear if the unlimited edition is also in a special packaging.
Frankfurt Megastore. A new Swatch Megastore will open its doors soon in Frankfurt, Germany. Thanks to Matthias Stawinski for the hint.
French FPIC special. A special FPIC edition (SUOS102C) of the nice New Gent Tomatella (SUOS102) was sold at the Swatch Store in the Louvre in Paris on 05-MAY. The watch is released to commemorate the photo exhibition at the Carrousel du Louvre for the Festival International de la Photographie Culinaire (FPIC, 01-MAY to 31-OCT). It has two special loops, it is limited to 100 pcs and the watch is packaged in a paper sleeve. Thanks to Yannick Durand for the pictures.
Upcoming artist specials. In this interview with Sotheby's, Carlo Giordanetti has talked about a few upcoming artist collaborations: "We are developing a fantastic, fun and totally Swatch new project with Eva & Adele, and we are anticipating an amazing collaboration with Tobias Rehberger, and with Joana Vasconcelos." Update: The new art specials will probably be launched on 07-MAY (Eva & Adele) and/or 09-MAY (Joana Vasconcelos) at Biennale Arte 2015 in Venice, Italy. Here is a nice interview with Carlo Giordanetti, Creative Director of Swatch about the upcoming art projects.
Rocket Air Special. On 01 and 02-MAY, the biggest mountain bike slopestyle event in Switzerland, Swatch Rocket Air, took place in Thun. As in the last years, a special event Swatch was released: The Rocket Air 2015 special (YYS4003C) is an Irony XLite Feel Strong (YYS4003; corrected version [with '15' instead of '35'] :-) with a special imprint on the strap and a nice paper sleeve. Limitation is 200 pcs. On 02-MAY, Swiss Club members were invited to an Apero at the event, about 30 members participated. Upon purchase of the limited special, you got a Lowrider bag and a Dakine Rocket Air backpack as a gift with purchase. Thanks to Christine Tanner for the information and pictures.
Expo Milano 2015. Swatch is the official watch & timekeeper for the Expo Milano 2015 (01-MAY to 31-OCT-2015). The theme of the Expo is: Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life. On 11-MAR, 51(!) days before the Expo Milano 2015 opens, the official countdown clock was unveiled in the presence of Swatch Creative Director Carlo Giordanetti, Swatch Group Italy Country Manager Laura Burdese, Giuseppe Sala, Commissioner of the Government of Italy for Expo Milano 2015, and a very special celebrity patroness, Filippa Lagerbäck. secondwatch.it was invited to the launch ceremony, so you can find a few pictures from the ceremony on his website. Here is a nice video about the launch ceremony. On 01-MAY, Swatch will also launch its exclusive Swatch watches for Expo Milano 2015. Swatch will be present at Expo Milano 2015 with an original Pop-Up Store right across from the Chinese Pavilion. Update: On Twitter, Swatch presents the three Expo Swatch watches: Three previously released watches with a nice special strap: 1. New Gent Expo Ghost (SUOK111N); 2. New Gent Expo Colo-Net (SUOK111K); 3. Gent Expo Bianco (GW151N). The three watches are also available in the Italian online store. There is also a special 'food package' Mediterranean Dolce Vita (SUOZS09) containing all four watches from the Mediterranean Dolce Vita collection, limited to 500 pcs.
Swatch Emerging Artists Series at PledgeMusic. Swatch has partnered with PledgeMusic to support a new campaign called Swatch Emerging Artist Series. Here is the press release. The inaugural series launches with Danish artist Oh Land. PledgeMusic is an online music platform that facilitates musicians reaching out to their fanbase (termed Pledgers) to pre-sell, market, and distribute music projects including recordings, music videos, and concerts. A great collaboration (I am a happy owner of the Inside The Pleasuredome box set, signed by Trevor Horn :-)
Prague Marathon special. For the Prague International Marathon, a special Prague International Marathon Swatch has been released. The year of the release is unknown. It is an Automatic Montenapoleone (SAK103) from 1992 with a special loop around the strap.
Singapore SG50 special. Singapore celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2015 (SG50). As part of the celebration, 50 pcs (out of the 888) of the limited Club Special 2015/16 This Is My Collectors World (SUOZ202S) were sold with a special loop with the SG50 logo. Sold out in a few minutes, although only one piece per customer was allowed.
Sneakerness 2015 special. The Sneakerness 2015 sneaker convention takes place in Zurich, Switzerland, from 18 to 19-APR. A special Sneakerness 2015 Limited Edition Swatch will be sold at the convention, 50 pcs only! The watch looks like a Black Rebel New Gent (SUOB702), with a special strap. It comes packaged in a black paper sleeve. Thanks to Ines Brem for the picture.
Taiwan XLite promotion bag. Swatch Taiwan has used some old Swatch shop promotional material and they have created unique Swatch bags that you can get for free if you buy a XLite Swatch for more than NTD5000. Here is a picture of another bag. Thanks to Sophia Chang for the information.
Hong Kong Swatch auction. After the huge success of the Hong Kong auction of the Blum collection in 2011, another large Swatch collection will be auctioned at Sotheby's in Hong Kong on 07-APR-2015, apparently again as one single lot of 5,800 watches and other elements (pieces of art, eg. a drawing by Keith Haring). The collection was put together by Paul Dunkel, a passionate collector from Luxemburg. His collection has already been on display in 2011 and 2014. See also this Squiggly news from 2011. Let's see if the selling price for this collection can top the price of the Blum collection in 2011: $6,618,560 US. Update: Here is a nice report with some pictures about the auction (but still no detailed info). Update 2: You can preview (for free of course) the collection this weekend (14/15-MAR) in Singapore at The Regent Hotel. Further preview dates of the travelling exhibition: 21/22-MAR (Taipei, Fubon International Convention Centre) and 24/25-MAR (Kaohsiung, Ambassador Hotel). Update 2: Here is a picture from the Singapore exhibition (there was only this one cabinet for Swatch watches, and about eleven more for other watch brands). Update 3: The Dunkel collection is Lot 2189 in the auction, unfortunately, no detailed description is available. The printed auction catalogue has about 20 pages with information and pictures of the Swatch watches from the Dunkel collection. Update 4: Here are a few pictures from the preview in Taipei. I am not too excited about the Swatch exhibition (a Kiki in an automatic?). Update 5: Sotheby's has published a nice interview with Carlo Giordanetti, Creative Director at Swatch. Update 6: You can browse the catalogue of the auction online, the Swatch lot is described on the pages 130-153. The catalogue also features a small greeting by Nick Hayek. Update 7: A second catalogue featuring all Swatch watches (the complete lot, 318 pages!) is also available for browsing. Update 8: Here is a nice newspaper report from Luxemburg showing the watches in a bank vault (German version), here are some of the watches on display in Hong Kong before the auction and here is some information about the auction on the official Swatch webpage! Update 9: The collection was sold for 46,680,000 HKD (almost 5.5 Mio EUR or 6 Mio USD) to an "European Institution"(?!? so the watches were flown from Switzerland to HK and now back to Europe?). A fantastic price and I bet that some serious collectors start to think now :-) Thanks to Sophia Chang for the information and to Martin Maguss for the hint.
Club Watch 2015/16 and pre-launch events. The Club watch 2015/16 is a New Gent called This Is My World (SUOZ195). An international Pre-Launch Event for the Swatch Club watch 2015/16 took place in Tokyo, Japan on 09 and 10-MAR-2015. Further pre-launch events will take place in Hong Kong (13-MAR), New York (17-MAR), Zurich (19-MAR), Rotterdam (19-MAR), Paris (25-MAR), Hamburg (26-MAR), London (27-MAR), Madrid (28-MAR), and Milano (01-APR), and many more (15 events in total!). A limited version of the club watch called This Is My Collectors World (SUOZ202S, 888 pcs) is also available at the launch events. The limited version sold in Tokyo has a special loop around the strap. This is the only launch event where a special loop is available. Update: Here are a few pictures by Sophia Chang from the international Pre-Launch Event in Tokyo. Update 2: Here is a small report with a few pictures from the Zurich launch event. Update 3: Here is the little report on the Swatch webpage. Update 4: The new club watch is finally unveiled on the official Swatch webpage.
Art installation in Verbier. The last stop of the 2015 Freeride World Tour will take place in Verbier, Switzerland on 28-MAR. During the event, Swatch Wraps Verbier With Art & Sports. Unique installations (sculptural icy works of art) by Italian artist Stefano Ogliari Badessi will be on display at the competition site and in the town of Verbier.
Printemps 150th anniversary special. The french department store Printemps celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2015. Many exclusive products will be released for the anniversary. Also included is a Swatch special 150 Ans Printemps (GZ291C), a mother's day Gent Roses4U (GZ291) with a special strap. Thanks to Rodolphe Foucart for the picture and to Alain Choisy for the information.
Vendôme Store reopening. The Paris Vendôme Swatch Store has reopened its doors. Is the special Luxury (Vendôme / Spiga) collection still available for sale? Probably only very few pieces (if any).
Swatch Taiwan SISTEM51 2015 special packaging. Swatch Taiwan has launched a 2015 SISTEM51 special packaging, limited to 100 pcs. Here is a picture of the back of the box. You can get this special packaging if you buy four SISTEM51 watches. Thanks to Sophia Chang for the information and pictures.
Swatch smartwatch? Yes, soon! According to this Bloomberg news article, Swatch plans to start selling a smartwatch within the next three(!) months (this is a reaction on the Apple Watch which will be available soon). According to Nick Hayek, the watch will communicate via NFC and won?t have to be charged(!!). The Swatch smartwatch will also enable mobile payments and it is compatible to Windows and Android (not iOS or Mac OS X :-) I'll believe that when I see it. The Liquid Touch Swatch that was rumoured for 2014 has not yet appeared on the market. At the Swatch Group?s Annual Results Press Conference 2014, Nick Hayek revealed that Swatch and other brands of the Swatchgroup will integrate NFC (Near Field Communication) for contactless payment in the future. Please read this nice report with many pictures for much more details. NFC requires much less energy compared to the other functions of the smart watches on the market today.
Swatch Up Your Night Verbier. The Swatch Club event series Swatch Up Your Night will stop in Verbier, Switzerland during the Freeride World Tour (end of March). If you are a Swiss Club member, you can register at the Swatch Club website.
Swatch Faces & Traces TV show. Starting in May, Swatch will run a weekly TV show called Faces & Traces on Swiss TV station Star TV. The show will air on monday (8.15pm to 9.15pm).
New IOC special. A new IOC special has been released last year: Nightsea / IOC 2014 (GZ296).
Swatch Irony XLite. A new product line called Irony XLite was launched on 06-DEC in Zurich, Switzerland. Price starts at 120 CHF. Update: The first four XLite models are already on sale at the Swatch Flagship Store (Bahnhofstrasse) in Zurich. Here are details about these first for models, including pictures. Update 2: You can also buy the Irony Xlite in the Swatch Swiss Online Store. Update 3: A small Club event for collectors took place on 07-DEC at the Swatch Flagship Store (Bahnhofstrasse) in Zurich. No launch special packaging was released but it was a nice chance for a "get together" and souvenir pictures with a real 2D robot. Here are a few pictures from the Zurich Irony XLite launch event. Update 4: Starting 26-FEB, all 12 XLite models will be available for sale, a new leaflet with all 12 watches will also be available soon (so the leaflet with the 4 watches from Switzerland is rare now :-) On 12-FEB, Swatch Benelux will organize a XLite launch party in Brussels. Update 5: Here is a picture of the remaining Irony Big XLite models and here is a picture of the remaining Irony Chrono XLite. Update 6: An interesting online game just started at xlite.swatch.com. You can win an Irony XLite! Thanks to Henk Seligmann for the information and to Alain Choisy for the pictures.
XLite production error. The first batch of the XLite Chrono Feel Strong (YYS4003) has a production error: The little minutes dial in the upper left shows a 35 instead of a 15. Meanwhile, a corrected version is available in the shops. Update: secondwatch.it shows another interesting production error (probably only one piece) on a New Gent watch from the current collection. Thanks to Sascha and German for the pictures and to Rodolphe for the discovery.
Swatch at LFW. Swatch has a nice mobile shop at the London Fashion Week (Swatch is a sponsor). The My Pet & Me collection is featured.
Maxi Swatches 2015. Three New Gent watches from the current collection will be released as Maxi Swatches soon: 1. Love Game (MSUOW116, the watch case is tan instead of white and it is not printed like the New Gent watch); 2. Tomatella (MSUOS102, standard blue hands compared to the New Gent watch, also the dial features a "half" tomato compared to the New Gent watch); 3. Mister Parrot (MSUOR105, standard white hands compared to the New Gent watch). Thanks to Alain Choisy for the information.
Swatch Club Party. In 2015, Swatch The Club celebrates the 25th anniversary. On 23-JAN at the 2uo club in Biel, a Swatch Club Party was held. Concerts & DJ Set with Pegasus (CH), Klischée (CH), Maximizerz, DJ Ker, DJ Mediati. More information and registration (apparently Swiss Club members only) on the official Swatch website. Update: Here are a few pictures from the party on the Swatch webpage.
Rex Ray dies at 58. Rex Ray, the San Francisco-based fine artist and graphic designer known for large-scale, brightly colored, 1960s-inspired, often psychedelic paintings, died at 58 after a long battle with cancer. He designed the Swatch Gent Booster (GB182) in 1997. Thanks to Martin Maguss for the information.
Swatch Skiers Cup 2015 specials. The Swatch Skiers Cup 2015 takes place in Zermatt, Switzerland from 21 to 27-FEB. Two special Swatch watches will be released: 1. Clownfish Red Skierscup 2015 (SUOR102C); 2. Clownfish Blue Skierscup 2015 (SUON112C).
Roland Garros 2015 specials. Two special watches will be released at the end of February for the Roland Garros French Open Tennis tournament (Paris, 19-MAY to 07-JUN): Hit The Line (GZ294, Gent) and Fast Server (SUSZ100, Chrono Plastic). Both watches are packaged in a nice paper sleeve. Thanks to Alain Choisy for the pictures.
Proyecto Sofia Mulanovich special. Together with world-champion surfer Sofia Mulanovich, Swatch supports a new youth surfing academy in Peru called Proyecto Sofia Mulanovich. Open to 10 to 15 year-olds of all geographical and social backgrounds, the Proyecto Sofia Mulanovich is a three-year program kicking off in JAN-2015 and based in a fully equipped, dedicated sports facility. A special Swatch Sofia Mulanovich (SUOW100D, a New Gent White Lacquered (SUOW100) with a special strap) will be released soon. More details in the official press release by Swatch. Update: The watch is packaged in a paper sleeve (front / back). Update: swatch.tv has a nice video about Proyecto Sofia Mulanovich. Thanks to Alain Choisy for the pictures.
Euro prices increased. On 01-FEB, Swatch Benelux has increased the Swatch watch prices by 5%. This price increase is due to the weak Euro which lost about 15-20% against the Swiss Franc mid January. Thanks to Henk Seligmann for the information.
Gold Member contest 2015. The Swatch Club Gold Member contest is now online. You should upload one or more pictures which "include at least one Club watch or one Club special and a 25". 2015 is the 25th anniversary of the club (I am sure that you know this already). The contest is open until 16-FEB. Please read the rules and the terms & conditions carefully!
Taiwan Valentine promotion. Swatch Taiwan runs a nice promotion for Valentine 2015: If you purchase Swatch watches for more than NT5000 (about 137 EURO or $159 US), you get a Valentine USB stick (4GB) in a nice special packaging (open / closed). Thanks to Sophia Chang for the information and pictures.
Paris Officielle 2014 special. The french contemporary art fair Officielle 2014 took place from 22 to 26-OCT-2014 in Paris. Swatch is the premium partner of the art fair. A New Gent special Officielle 2014 (SUOV101C, a Color Explosion (SUOV101) with a special loop around the strap) was released. The watch is packaged in a nice paper sleeve. Thanks to Brian Pier for the pictures.
BenCab Philippines artist special. On 04-NOV, a new Swatch special Sabel (SUOZ188S) designed by the Philippines artist Benedicto Reyes Cabrera, better known as BenCab, was launched at the new Swatch + Swatch Center on Pasay Road, Makati City. The special was created to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Swatch in the Philippines. It is available in three different versions: 1. Sabel (SUOZ188S, 999 pcs, also numbered on the back of the black loop around the strap, not numbered on the back of the watch itself!) in a special box with a Sabel paperweight designed by BenCab; 2. Sabel (SUOZ188, in a nice paper sleeve, not limited, this version is exclusive for the Philippines to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Swatch in the Philippines, therefore it has "XXV" on the black loop around the strap); 3. Sabel (SUOZ188C, worldwide unlimited release, same as the Philippines only version but without the "XXV" on the black loop). The new Swatch + Swatch Center has opened to the general public on 05-NOV. Swatch creative director Carlo Giordanetti has attended the event. Here is a great newspaper report: "Bowie in an elevator, BenCab’s geishas — stories by Swatch’s Carlo Giordanetti". More details about the launch can be found here. Update: In this report (or in that one), you can also see that a Sabel Maxi also exists. It is not yet known if this Maxi is available to the general public or if only very few pieces have been made for promotional purposes. Update 2: Here are a few pictures showing the nice art displays (I'd love to get that Lightning Flash chair!) and the Sabel Maxi inside of the Swatch + Swatch Center. Thanks to German Santiago for the pictures.
Freeride World Tour 2015 specials. For the Freeride World Tour 2015, two special Swatch watches FWT 2015 Blue (SUON705C, a New Gent Backup Blue (SUON705) with a special print ("highway to hill" :-) on the strap and a special special loop around the strap) and FWT 2015 Red (SUOR705D, a New Gent Backup Red (SUOR705) with a special print on the strap and a special loop around the strap) have been issued. The two special watches are now available in the Swatch Online Store. Update: The watches are packaged in a nice paper sleeve.
Spring / Summer Collection 2015. www.watch-insider.com has a detailed report with many pictures about the upcoming Swatch Spring / Summer Collection 2015. Themes for this collection are Spring Breeze, Gran Tourismo, My Pet & Me, Red White & Blue, In The Playroom, Mediterranean Dolce Vita, and Surfing The Wave. Make sure that you also read page 2 of the report featuring individual models from the Spring / Summer Collection 2015. You can also browse the full lookbook of the collection on the official Swatch homepage. Update: Meanwhile, the new collection is featured on the official Swatch webpage. Here is a report from the launch of the new collection in Singapore. Update 2: secondwatch.it has a very nice report with many pictures from the launch of the Swatch Spring / Summer Collection 2015 in Milano, Italy. Thanks to secondwatch.it for the hint.
Swatch Up Your Night Fri-son. The next stop of the Swatch Club event series Swatch Up Your Night will take place on 06-FEB at the Fri-Son club in Fribourg, Switzerland. You can register at the Swatch Club website but (again), the event seems to be open for Swiss Club members only.
Kukulakuku available again. According to this tweet by Swatch Italy, the extremely popular Mika artist special Kukulakuku (SUOZ171) is available again for sale (I assume in Italy only): "KUKULAKUKU. You can find it in all the Swatch Stores and at the best authorized dealers!"
Five new SISTEM51 watches. The leaflet for the Spring / Summer 2015 Swatch collection shows five new SISTEM51 watches: 1. Sistem Pink (SUTR401); 2. Sistem Green (SUTG400); 3. Sistem Cream (SUTM400); 4. Sistem Chic (SUTB402); 5. Sistem Class (SUTS402).
Valentine special 2015. The Valentine special 2015 is a Gent Swatch called Unlock My Heart (GZ292). It comes in a nice special packaging: open / closed. Source Update: More details and photos in the official press release by Swatch.