Swatch

Revolution 51

The history of Swatch has already filled many miles of library shelves, as the fascination it exerts continues to sustain the chronicles of Swiss watchmaking. In the 1970s, the Swiss watchmaking industry was facing meltdown, undergoing the biggest crisis it had ever known. In 1979, Swiss watchmakers pulled off an amazing feat – they launched the «Delirium Tremens», the world’s thinnest wristwatch, made up of a limited number of components. This was soon to create a revolution in the world of watchmaking and lead to its renaissance: in 1983 Nicolas G. Hayek launched the Swatch, a plastic-cased watch consisting of only 51 components instead of the usual 91 or more, offering high quality at an affordable price. This wristwatch very soon spread its joy of life right across the globe. It was phenomenally successful – the most successful watch of all time – and its parent company, the Swatch Group, was to become the largest and most dynamic watchmaking company in the world.

Numerous watchmaking developments were to supplement the standard watch. Amongst others, the jewelry line Swatch Bijoux, the Metal Swatch Irony or the so called Swatch Specials, featuring products for special events like Christmas, Mother’s Day or Valentine’s Day, were added to the two annual watch collections. Some amazing technological feats were unveiled, such as the Swatch Skin, the world’s slimmest watch, and the creation of Internet Time, a unique way of measuring time. Extraordinary qualities and milestones in the science and technology of sports event timing and data processing are regularly introduced at international events and competitions of fun sports such as beach volleyball and snowboarding.