Fashionably On Time

After all the perceived prejudice against fashion watches, perhaps it is time to rate them based on merit.

- Asaph Low

After enjoying stellar mainstream acceptance for decades, the Swiss watchmaking industry was brought to its knees by the Quartz Watch Crisis that lasted from 1970 to 1983. Towards the tail end of the crisis saw the birth of a new category of watches — fashion watches. Led by Swatch, makers of inexpensive plastic watches in 1983, and Fossil and Guess after, these wrist trinkets dominated the scene with colourful designs that became personal style statements. Owning a dresser full of fashion watches was not a foreign idea either, as it did not burn a hole in pockets.

Swatch’s collaboration with Kiki Picasso in 1984 and Andy Warhol’s protégé Keith Haring in 1986 amplified the appeal of fashion watches, which caught the eyes of luxury fashion houses. Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Fendi were amongst the vanguard that led the charge in 1987, 1988 and 1989, respectively and produced their range of wristwatches. In roughly those years, the Swiss watchmaking industry had recovered and managed to get back on its own two feet.