Why Swatch is the Watch Manufacturer We Will Always Need
By and large, Swiss watchmakers are a serious bunch. They are always looking to release the most precise, sophisticated, and shiniest watch ever made. We’re talking the likes of longstanding companies like Rolex, Omega, TAG Heuer, etc. But what about consumers who care not for gold watch faces, silver straps, and more dials and diamonds than they know what to do with? Don’t they deserve a simple and fun watch? Thankfully, they have that and more in Swatch.
Forever Young and Forever Fun
Swatch could still be considered incredibly young to its Swiss counterparts, having only come into existence in 1983 (for comparison, 1905 for Rolex, 1903 for Omega and 1860 for TAG Heuer), but that younger, fresher vibe absolutely shines through in the watches it creates. We need Swatch watches because they provide the antidote to all the earnestness that is Swiss luxury watchmaking. I mean, where else can you get such colorful watches with fun designs that are affordable yet still actually wearable?
If you want Swiss watches with gold, diamonds and the big names with all the prestige, then search for one here and you’ll find it. However, Swatch is where you’ll find watches with arguably a bit more personality to them, all the while not breaking the bank at roughly $75. It’s true that Swatch does have a more austere side with the SKIN Irony collection, with dark brown leather straps, “normal” looking plain watch faces, and even a jet-black stainless steel watch for a cool $270 (the most expensive in the range), but honestly, these watches feel like they are here out of obligation and don’t seem to belong with the rest of the madcap collections. Give us goofy, silly and colorful watches – don’t be like everyone else.
Style over celebrity
In a world where everyone from Charlize Theron to David Guetta to Cara Delevingne is a brand ambassador for some sort of watch company, Swatch says “no” to all of that and needs only its unique designs and eye-catching price tags to help shift some watches from the shelves. Swatch deserves more credit when it comes to watch manufacturing and its role as the unsung hero of the market. Swatch doesn’t have much to fear from newer companies like Daniel Wellington and MVMT, or even smartwatches like the Apple Watch, as those models are either stylish and simplistic or offer more functions than you could shake a stick at.
Swatch does its own thing and is the oddball in the family, but that’s the way we like it.
