The Swatch Collection

The upcoming one-lot auction, presented by Finarte, offers bidders a collection of 1,241 Swatch watches. Combined, these watches represent many of the limited editions and production models from the Swiss watchmaker’s first 13 years, 1983 to 1996. This includes a Jellyfish Swatch watch. Only 50 exclusive copies of the Jellyfish were produced for the winners of the 1985 Alternative Miss World, a counterculture beauty pageant. Also available as part of this lot is a Swatch watch signed by Pop artist Keith Haring. He partnered with the watch brand to produce four models with a total circulation of 9,999 copies. Rounding out the highlighted pieces is a 6 Black Puff watch. This 1988 model required wearers to blow puffs of fur out of the way to read the time.

Established in 1983, Swatch aimed to reverse the watchmaking industry’s shift from Swiss-made products to those from Japan and Hong Kong. To accomplish this, Swatch focused less on the utility of watches and more on aesthetics. “A $5 watch tells time every bit as well as a $30,000 watch,” wrote Edward de Bono on the market shift. “The Swatch was not selling time so much as fun and costume jewelry.” Those interested in this collection can register to bid on Bidsquare.