SWATCH AHEAD

The Swatch Group's latest quest for watchmaking world domination is now two collaborations in. As the initial hype surrounding these partnerships fades, the question arises: Will the interest in Swatch's collaborative ventures endure?

-  Sharan Sanil

On 20th March 1985, Swatch released their first collaborative project during the 'Copy Art' exhibition in Paris - the Kiki Picasso Swatch. Bearing the reference number GZ008, this 140-piece edition is likely the most expensive collector's watch in the history of the brand; fetching about $45,000 at Sotheby's in Milan - twice its sale value and nearly $110,000 in today's money.

The collaboration was a resounding success. It was timed perfectly both from a business and contemporary art point of view; catapulting the parallel hype of the mid-80s Pop Swatch models and the artist's sweeping fame within the avantgarde art movement. In just a year, Swatch would join hands with contemporary artist, Keith Haring, to produce four new collaborative models - a feat that would be replicated as recently as 2021. While there have been dozens of collaborations with brands, designers, artists and the like across these four-odd decades, the focus has certainly drawn away from giving artists a wrist (and accompanying price point) to showcase their work. Instead, Swatch has gone big and bold on the world of horology itself, diving deeper into the culture, ethos, and even the whimsy associated with all things watches.

Talk about Swatch collabs today, and you'll likely spark conversations about two specific collections the Swatch x OMEGA MoonSwatch and the recent Blancpain X Swatch Scuba Fifty Fathoms. Both have been at the forefront of horologychatter across the last several months, and have disrupted everything from watchmaking forums to Google search results. A quick Google Trends search reveals that online interest in Blancpain one of watchmaking's most iconic legacy brands - has soared to almost 10x its peak in the 2010s, following the Scuba Fifty's launch early this September.