For years, Swatch has been the go-to brand for unique and unconventional timepieces. Here Babla’s Jewellers uncovers the history of Swatch.
Swiss-made watches have always had a reputation for excellence. Up until the 1980s, a Swiss watch was the archetypal timepiece — classic, traditional and painstakingly crafted. They were the prized possessions of many and often passed down through the generations.
However, while Switzerland was busy pouring over their signature timepieces, Asia was hard at work creating quartz watches that were both accurate and, above all, cheap to buy. This had a knock-on effect on the Swiss watchmakers and the industry more widely. Switzerland’s market share was reduced by more than 35%, while 65,000 jobs were lost.
The Swiss watchmaking industry was in turmoil — it had to change in order to survive. That’s when, in the 1980s, Nicholas G. Hayek recognised what was missing — personality. Believing that you shouldn’t have to stop at owning just one watch, he developed the idea of a ‘second watch’.
Unlike the classical timepieces of yonder, the watch was designed to convey a person’s individual style. In short, it was intend to be a talking point that triggered an emotion with both the wearer and onlookers — Swatch was born.
Only the beginning…
The 1.98mm Delirum Tremens was recognised as the thinnest watch in the world at the time. Developed by a group of engineers in Fontainemelon, this incredible feat was achieved by revolutionising the overall design of the watch. The typical three-part design of a bottom plate, case and frame was erad
