Swatch Colour Codes

February this year saw the release of the Swatch Colour Code range. The design is simple and available in ten glossy colours (Red, Navy, Yellow, Lime Green, Electric Blue, White, Black, Orange, Purple and Shocking PInk) and ten matt shades (Teal, Dusty Orange, Pale Mocha, Olive, Beige, Black, Purple, Indigo, Scarlet and Grey). The Colour Codes hark back to the eighties when, on March 1st 1983, Swatch launched their first range of watchs, priced reasonably and aimed at both youths who were keen to baulk the stuffy trends of the horology industy by investing in a quality Swiss timepiece made of vibrant plastic and well-off businessmen who were always in need of a watch, but preferred to save their Tag, Patek Phillipe or Raymond Weil for the board room and thus in need of a reliable watch for day-to-day office work. Not many people realise that the original intended meaning for Swatch was a contraction of 'Second Watch', but was later discarded in favour of 'Swiss Watch', which, aside from their plastic casing, is what they are best known for.
In terms of functions, the Colour Code watches have one: they tell the time. They do this well and by utilising the power of a Renatta 390 battery or equivelent The straps are plastic and replacable after the six month warranty expires for the cheap-as-chips price fo £5. The watch itself is guranteed for two years and water resistant to 30 metres. The hands glow in the dark and the watch is the bearer of a prticular loud escapement, which means it ticks audibly (some people love this feature, but it has been known to drive others insane). This loud ticking is true of all Swatch Originals (plastic) and is in part due to the lack of deadening provided by the case material, which, as it is used as the main plate of the watch, allows the construction of a high-quality timepiece with almost half as many parts as are normally required (somewhere beteen 51-54 as opposed to the low nineties).
All in all the Colour Codes are superb value at £29.50, and an accessory you should not be seen without. I personally own four and wear two or three at once on the same wrist depending on what clothes I have on. I wouldn't say they were formal enough for evening wear, but are more than servicable for office work - especially models Just White, Basic Set-up and Black-Suit.

Rating: 7/10


Pick up THE HARE newspaper at Night and Day; Bar Centro; or Tiger Lounge in Manchester town centre, or the Oakwood in Glossop.

E-mail theharenewspaper@hotmail.co.uk with questions, comments or contributory pieces.