Swatch brings art masterpieces by Roy Lichtenstein, Sandro Botticelli to our wrists
The Swatch love affair with art started in 1985 with the first in a long line of Art Special watches.
2023 marks the next chapter of the Swatch Art Journey, going big with five capsule collections released from mid-March to May. From Botticelli to Lichtenstein, the entire range adventures through different moments in art history and presents the signature Swatch flair, accentuated with hints of unexpected details. Featuring institutions such as MoMA, Fondation Magritte, Le Gallerie degli Uffizi and Louvre Abu Dhabi, the collection recreates a whopping ten masterpieces in Swatch’s Gent and New Gent designs, along with its signature playful, provocative style – all designed to celebrate bold, daring artists and their work.
The Swatch Art Journey Collection is available now, and will be followed by another release that will be unveiled later.
The Swatch love affair with art started in 1985 with the first of a long line of Art Special watches. Always looking for new ways to democratise the art world, Swatch joined forces with world-famous museums to recreate some of their most powerful artworks as part of a new Museum Journey series. Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam (2018) and Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum in Madrid (2018) were the first venues to open their doors to Swatch, swiftly followed by the Musée du Louvre in Paris (2019), MoMA in New York (2021), and Centre Pompidou in Paris (2022).
READ:
Coachella style notes from Blackpink's Jennie and Jisoo, K-pop's biggest sensation
Take a dip: Best places for a swim in the sea in Thailand
12 luxurious hotel pools to add to your travel bucket list
5 hotels in Singapore to put on your radar for your next wellness staycation
Swatch x MoMA celebrates Pop Art and marks the 100th anniversary of Roy Lichtenstein’s birth
Pop art fans rejoice! Swatch has once again teamed up with MoMA to honour legendary American pop artist Roy Lichtenstein. Two vibrant watches featuring artwork from MoMA’s collection blend his unique, comic-style art and single-colour Benday dots with the playfulness and creativity of Swatch.
1. Swatch Girl By Roy Lichtenstein, The Watch Blue Quartz 41mm Silicone Strap Watch
2. Swatch Le Fils De L'Homme By Rene Magritte Black Quartz 41mm Silicone Strap Watch
Wordplay was as important to Magritte as images, and his 1929 ‘The Treachery of Images’ is one of the famous examples. “Ceci est une Swatch” and the original artwork's "Ceci n’est pas une pipe” is detailed on the strap. The playful packaging makes the whole experience surrealist, bridging into Dada and so totally Swatch.
3. Swatch Nascita Di Venere By Sandro Botticelli and Swatch Allegoria Della Primavera By Botticelli
Designed to be hung above the marital bed, ‘The Birth of Venus’ (circa 1486) was so controversial it was kept behind closed doors for half a century. Swatch reproduces the texture of the original painting in amazing quality.
On the dial are the gods of winds, Zephyr and breeze, Aura gently driving Venus towards the shore, her unmistakably beautiful face and pink roses covering the strap.
Nature was a great source of rich inspiration for the Italian. His painting ‘Allegoria della Primavera,’ or ‘Allegory of Spring’ features at least 138 different species of plants, some of which appear on this Swatch.
The strap features Flora, goddess of flowers, adorned with cornflowers, wild strawberries, violets, and myrtle, among the citrus trees — a timeless tribute to nature and beauty.
Buy Swatch Nascita Di Venere for S$135 Buy Swatch Allegoria Della Primavera for S$150
4. Swatch The Great Wave By Hokusai & Astrolabe Blue Quartz
In an unprecedented collaboration with the Louvre Abu Dhabi, Swatch releases one eye-catching watch where two worlds unite: the powerful and iconic Japanese artwork by Katsushika Hokusai and the renowned sophisticated Astrolabe artefact by Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Battûtî.
