The Fifty Fathoms

Many watch enthusiasts will rejoice that the Fifty Fathoms will be getting its time in the sun, and for good reason. It is amongst one of the world’s first modern dive watches, and has a storied history being issued to numerous Navies and accompanying fearless operators on their missions. Most notably, the Fifty Fathoms would be issued to the French Combat Swimmers, who, under the guidance of Captain Robert Maloubier, would work with Blancpain to incorporate their feedback into a watch that matched their stringent requirements. It was also worn by famed director and explorer Jacques Cousteau when he was directing his underwater film, The Silent World. The combination of its technical capabilities, paired with its stories of adventure and action give the Fifty Fathoms its unimpeachable rugged appeal, and makes it a perfect watch to collaborate with Swatch on.

Blancpain x Swatch

As seen in the MoonSwatch, the Blancpain x Swatch collaboration aims to capture the essence of both brands and distill it into its own capsule collection.

All of the models measure in at a wearable 42.3mm case diameter, with a uni-directional rotating bezel – a standard feature for dive watches. Honouring the seafaring heritage of the Fifty Fathoms, there are 5 models that celebrate the 5 oceans – Antarctic, Atlantic, Arctic, Indian and Pacific Oceans, each of which features its own unique coloured Bioceramic case (which in of itself is an eco-friendly material that is two-thirds ceramic and one-third biomaterials derived from castor oil). 

Each of these watches also incorporates design elements from Fifty Fathoms watches past and present. In particular, the Arctic and Antarctic models take inspiration from the famed “No-Rads” and “Mil-Spec” watches respectively.

Both of these models feature a vintage-style Blancpain logo, akin to what you would find on the vintage models, and each of these has a distinctive addition at the 6 o’clock position on the dial – the Arctic with its No Rads logo, honouring the early models that did not use Radium in the luminescent material of the hour markers, and the Antarctic model incorporating a moisture indicator like the Mil-Spec models, that tell the wearer that moisture has entered the watch.

By contrast, the Atlantic (Blue), Indian (Green) and Pacific (Yellow) Ocean models take their inspiration from the modern Fifty Fathoms watches, incorporating the modern dial 3/6/9 dial design, and the date at 4:30. Each of these watches are water resistant to 91 metres, which is around Fifty Fathoms – fitting for a watch that should live up to its namesake, and are delivered on a NATO-style strap that is woven from fishing nets that have been recovered from the ocean, and Bioceramic hardware (buckle and keepers).

To what seemed like a sigh of collective relief, the new Bioceramic Scuba Fifty Fathoms incorporates the Sistem51, ensuring that the famous tagline “Since 1735, there has never been a quartz Blancpain, and there will never be one”, lives on. On each of the movements, the region of the ocean that the watch pays tribute to is printed onto the bridges, and the rotors feature a picture of a nudibranch that can be found in that ocean. Colourful and playful, the nudibranchs are a great addition to remind owners of the adventure that can be had with these watches. Naturally, the Sistem51 movement also comes with 90 hours of power reserve, as well as a Nivachron balance spring that gives the watch its antimagnetic properties.

Parting Thoughts

To be direct, I hold a sense of cognitive dissonance around this release for a few reasons. Firstly, as a number of fellow enthusiasts and media outlets have pointed out, the watch is non-repairable, somewhat an antithesis of the environmental causes that Blancpain fervently supports. Even though the case is environmentally friendly, the movement itself cannot be repaired – which, to be fair to this release, is the ultimate fate for the majority of the Swatch lineup, quartz or automatic. I am also doubtful whether Blancpain and Swatch will capture the genie again, like how Omega and Swatch did with the MoonSwatch. Undoubtedly, this will be an exercise in brand awareness for Blancpain, however, I would envisage that more time would be spent in the consideration phase of purchasing, given Blancpain’s more niche status in the watch world.

Overall, I am cautiously optimistic of the effects of this collaboration – Blancpain holds a special place in my heart, and I have no doubt that given its fun disposition, this collaboration will see great results in the short term. However, given the higher price point of the Fifty Fathoms, it might be a while yet before the long term fruits of this collaboration can be harvested. I am also sure that this brings more eyes to the watch industry as a whole, and as crazy an idea as this collaboration is, only the Swatch Group would be daring enough to try something like this – and as history can tell, the Swatch Group has been capable of radical thinking to reshape the industry before.

For 2022, the famed Centre Pompidou in Paris joins an impressive list of museums – including the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum in Madrid, the Musée du Louvre in Paris and The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York – in collaborating with SWATCH for a series of watches based on the highlights of the museum’s collection.

These six iconic masterpieces are from artists that art lovers will recognise, including Frida Kahlo, Amedeo Modigliani, Robert Delaunay, Vassily Kandinsky, and Piet Mondrian. Look below for details of each watch and my opinion and commentary.

PORTRAIT OF DÉDIE, BY AMEDEO MODIGLIANI

THE WATCH celebrates the Italian artist whose iconic portraits captured the face of early twentieth-century Paris. Swatch includes the artist’s signature on the Gent strap, a metallic finish on the dial, and an unexpected pop of solid pink on the case, buckle, loop and hands.

This is probably my favourite piece out of the collection, with the entire watch encompassing the main elements of Modigliani’s original portrait. Not only does the upper strap match the wall in the painting, but the lower strap as well matches the dress of the lady. The reproduction of the lady’s face on the dial is perfect as it allows one to appreciate the main part of the painting with the watch on the wrist, something that I think should have been done with some of the others in the collection. The metallic finish that forms the background of the lady’s head on the dial is a real surprise though, and elevates the watch in my opinion, since it isn’t so obvious initially, but grabs attention when the light hits it just right. The only thing that I would have liked is to have this piece in the larger size, but I can understand why SWATCH chose to have it smaller given the subject and the possible buyer.

CAROUSEL, BY ROBERT DELAUNAY

THE WATCH takes inspiration from the artist’s third version of the painting after he destroyed the first two versions. Delaunay sought to depict movement through color; something Swatch was adamant about capturing. The special cut-out dial with different colors printed on the calendar wheel ensures a dynamic element to the design of this Gent watch.

This watch has been well received and it’s easy to see why. Even if you know nothing of the artist or the original painting, the colour scheme and design is easy enough on the eye. The best feature though has to be the changing colour on the dial, courtesy of a cut-out that is triggered by the date wheel. Which means the colours change every day. It certainly animates the idea behind the original painting. It is called “Carousel” after all.

EIFFEL TOWER, BY ROBERT DELAUNAY

THE WATCH reimagines the artist’s famous corner angle depiction of the Paris landmark in all its glory. The proportions of the Gent watch remain true to Delaunay’s original, while the dial, strap and hands feature vibrant reds, yellows, oranges and blues.

I’m not too keen on this one, purely and simple because it doesn’t work when worn on the wrist. The main element of the original painting is the Eiffel Tower, but because of its position on the lower strap, it will be hidden from view most of the time, and even so will be distorted as the painting rounds the wrist.

THE FRAME, BY FRIDA KAHLO,

THE WATCH sees Swatch reimagine one of the artist’s most famous self-portraits as a mirror image perfectly split between the six and twelve hours of the dial. The Frame’s bright festive colors feature on the NEW Gent watch front, perfectly offset by the pink base and underside of the strap.

This could possibly be one of the more popular watches in the collection because of the fame of the artist and her work. However, I feel that it is a bit of a missed opportunity given that I would have preferred Frida Kahlo’s self portrait on the dial of the watch like the Modigliani. It is nice that her portrait is reproduced twice on this watch, referencing her exuberant and over the top style, but on the wrist what you see on the dial is the mirror image of the bottom edge of the frame of the original work. The position of Frida’s portrait as shown in the picture below is upside down as well when seen from this point of view, which might have some artistic reasoning as to its location, but generally I feel that this watch works more as a display piece laid flat.

RED, BLUE AND WHITE BY PIET MONDRIAN

THE WATCH pays tribute to the founding father of geometric abstraction, whose influence is most notable in the realms of fashion, architecture and design. Swatch has ensured that the exact tonalities of the original artwork are depicted on the New Gent, complete with a matt black dial and oversized hands.

If you’re a fan of Mondrain, this watch will appeal instantly to you as it is easily embodies the spirit of the original work. It is also, if you’re keen on minimalistic aesthetics and have no idea or interest in the original artist the perfect choice as well.

BLUE SKY, BY VASSILY KANDINSKY

THE WATCH, continues the artist’s fascination with the color blue. Swatch reproduces Kandinsky’s deep and textural painting technique to the New Gent design and features many intriguing characters that inhabit the original painting.

This watch is easily the most attractive piece, referencing the original well, yet being overall aesthetically pleasing as a watch to wear on the wrist. This is possibly due to the relatively small size of the abstracted elements in the original painting which allows the wearer to read it by the overall colour palette, or look closer at the details. It also reminds me somewhat but not exactly like the Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh from the SWATCH X MOMA Collection (linked below)

The collection is available to buy individually or as a special limited edition showcase box shown below, at SWATCH boutiques or online at swatch.com.

Vincent Van Gogh’s “The Starry Night” from 1889 is probably the most well known painting in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, which is the reason why the Swatch inspired by it, under the newly released Swatch X MoMA series will probably be the most sought after one of the six available.

Aside from this, the rest of the five pieces are inspired by the following in the MoMA collection, – Hope, II (1907-1908) by Gustav Klimt, The Dream (1910) by Henri Rousseau, Composition in Oval with Color Planes 1 (1914) by Piet Mondrian, The City and Design, The Wonders of Life on Earth, Isamu Kurita (1966) by Tadanori Yokoo, and New York (1968) by Tadanori Yokoo.

Vincent Van Gogh was famous for his impressionist painting style, utilising thick brushstrokes to render his subjects. This effect can be seen in the watch even though the surfaces of the dial and the strap are flat. All it takes is a little side lighting to make them stand out.

Shown against a photograph of the actual painting itself, it’s easy to see how the watch blends in to the details of the painting, which actually does show the quality of the reproduction done on the watch.

If you’re an art or Van Gogh fan, it’s easy to see how this collection will appeal to you, since you can effectively wear your passion on your wrist, with something useful and accurate for your daily needs.

Or on the other hand, you could just keep it as part of your SWATCH collection or among your Van Gogh paraphernalia.

The box that this watch comes in, is simple, yet shows a picture of the original painting as well as some details about it.

This particular sample is the packaging if the watch is purchased individually. Also available are collector’s edition sets, that allow you to purchase them all at one go. Swatch and MoMA developed the special box for the collector’s edition inspired by the Blade Stair, a prominent architectural feature of MoMA.

Interestingly, the relationship between SWATCH and MoMA precedes this collection since there are three Swatch watches that are in the museum’s permanent collection; the GB100 (1983), GK100 Jelly Fish (1985), and SFK100 Jelly Skin (1998).

Additionally, Swatch watches have been featured in four MoMA exhibitions: Humble Masterpieces (2004), Architecture and Design: Inaugural Installation (2004-2005), Standard Deviations: Types and Families in Contemporary Design (2011-2012), and, most recently, Items: Is Fashion Modern? (2017-2018).

The watches will be available at Swatch stores worldwide and swatch.com as well as global MoMA Design Stores and store.moma.org, starting on March 4, 2021.

Shortly after that, plastic straws started disappearing in cafes and restaurants around the world, being replaced by paper ones that would become soggy after 40 minutes or alternatively dangerous seeming metal ones that could impale the skull if you were pushed from behind while drinking your coke.

Still, I can intellectually get behind the idea that something need to be done, and as the human race tries its best to sort things out, at least there is enough collective agreement for things to move in the right direction. 

Watch companies too, like many other businesses have gotten into the act, and whether or not one is cynical of the profit motivation that begins these initiatives, one cannot deny that when done correctly, all these actions add up. 

Of course, while this has receded somewhat into the background given the ongoing medical crisis of 2020, the existential threat to our environment is still there, and there are still initiatives being launched that are addressing them. 

So I’ve been spending time with an interesting watch from Swatch, one that seems to be representative of the spirit of doing things the right way. 

The new Sistem51 – “BIORELOADED” from Swatch is a watch whose case and strap is made from an extract of the seeds of a castor plant, meaning that it is bio-sourced and renewable. Not only that, it is lighter and stronger than traditional plastics. 

This plant based material seems to be the leading ingredient in a new generation of plastics that are being adopted for many applications that can replace traditional plastics. In fact some of the castor seed based plastics are better suited for certain technical applications such as in the automotive industry since they are lighter in weight and stronger. 

In fact the “BIORELOADED”  series was first launched this year in a line of watches that recall the original launch collection of Swatch way back in 1983, the Swiss watch industry’s response to the quartz crisis at the time. Remade in the same colours and nicknamed the “Impossible” project, the new collection features the exact same models and colours with the main difference being that the cases are made of this new castor seed based plastic, and also that the Swatch logo on the dial is green, a marker of the “BIORELOADED” case and strap that is present, something that you see in the dial of this Sistem51 based mechanical version featured here. 

Now I’m not really partial to quartz watches all that much, so I wasn’t too excited when this watch was placed in front of me. When I was presented with this watch however, the first thing I noticed was the seconds hand sweeping, and realized that it was the automatic mechanical Sistem51. 

The fact that this new material is used in the Sistem51 collection is somewhat more satisfying since as a mechanical watch, it doesn’t contain a battery like the quartz based versions, this is the main reason why this release is, to a watch nerd like me, more emotionally resonant and “correct”.

There are two models that make up the initial launch of the Sistem51 “BIORELOADED”, one blue and the black one shown here. 

The black version is my preferred one, since the colour scheme lends itself to feeling extremely minimalist and austere. This is helped by the glossy black dial, with bar-shaped matte indices that point towards recessed hour marker dots in blue. There are enough subtle details to draw the eye when looking at it up close, yet the curious thing is how this watch appears in different lighting conditions.In darker environments, all you can see are the lumed hands against a glossy black dial, and then when there is more light, the dial features as described above are more visible. With the case, strap and buckle also in the black castor seed plastic, the whole watch feels purely about displaying the time and nothing else, which is quite minimalistic and beautiful.Certainly, it’s the kind of watch that can be a nice palette cleanser to others with more overt designs.  

On the wrist, the watch wears comfortably even though its dimensions, if translated into stainless steel, might be off-putting at 14mm thick and 42mm wide without the crown and with a 51 mm lug to lug distance. I’d say however that anyone can wear this watch comfortably because it is so light, at 41.9 grams with stickers on. In fact, it seems lighter than a normal Sistem51, though I’ll have to check that and get back to you. 

Of course, with the power reserve at a very healthy 90 hours, this is a watch that can become a part of your rotation, and can be swapped in and out while still running at moments when you want to pare down your wrist game. Or you can just enjoy that long power reserve for what it is if it is your only watch.

Round the back, the rotor, which might seem like a peripheral rotor but actually has a clear middle portion, allows a view of the mechanical movement of the watch, a more interesting one than that of the standard battery cover of the quartz based models. The view here is dominated by colourful graphic text that repeats the message, “Time is what you make of it”, which is a nice reminder to have overall considering that the main message of the watch is about the limit time we all have to reverse the gradual destruction of our environment. . 

The design allows the balance wheel, winding train wheels, and the fourth wheel of the gear train that holds the seconds hand to be visible. And most importantly, a partial view of the skeletonized mainspring, which acts as a visual indication of whether your watch is powered up by how tightly coiled it is. It works as a power reserve indicator in a way, which is convenient to have since you can easily see how many winds you need to give it when you first pick it up. Rounding up the theme is the packaging that the watch comes in. It is a sleeve which holds two halves of what I would describe as a sort of egg carton material where the watch is placed. Round the back are the words “ Job done! Recycle or compost me.” which I suppose are instructions on what to do with the packaging, which further adds in the environmental credentials of the watch. With quite a number of brands already making watches that benefit various environmental programmes, and making their cases and/or straps from plastic trash from the sea or other recyclable materials, it’s nice to know that you can be a part of the movement, and assuage your environmental guilt relatively cheaply with this Sistem51. On another level, it’s nice to see a brand famous for being a purveyor of plastic watches, making a watch like this out of a new recyclable plastic. It’s a strong statement of how a brand can act responsibly and contribute to the global effort of making the world a better place. The watch itself, well, I’ve already mentioned how emotionally resonant the combination of the mechanical Sistem51 and the bio-sourced case and strap material is. In fact, it seems to be the best Sistem51 ever made in my estimation for this reason, and for its minimalist look that is a nice step away from the other more colourful designs available. 

Find out more about this watch and the collection and purchase it online at at the link here.

It’s understandable – James Bond is the hero, and we’re always curious to see what he will do with the watch issued to him by Q, since it seems that in the mission, that special feature that the watch has, with some amount of screen time explaining precisely what it can do, just seems to come in handy when it is required.

Speaking of Q then, yes, so he comes up with the James Bond watches, but it seems that no one has bothered to ask what he would wear.Thankfully that question has been answered, and it’s by the new Q watch by Swatch. It’s nice that the omission has finally been addressed, and out of all the brands that might share the screen with Omega without being controversial or unacceptable to them, Swatch would be it.In the upcoming “No Time To Die”, the 25th Bond movie in the series, Q will wear this watch and it will enjoy ample screen time on the wrist of the actor Ben Whishaw.

It’s a limited edition watch that was designed by Suttirat Anne Larlarb, the Costume Designer for No Time To Die, and uses the SKIN Irony collection as its basis. According to SWATCH, the design “reflects Q’s timeless mix of tradition and futuristic innovation, featuring a tartan plaid brown leather strap, sharp red edges and a sun-brushed dial showing off the complex mechanism, joining Swatch and Q at 6 o’clock.”

The watch certainly looks cool on the wrist, with its nice view into the quartz movement that is hidden most of the time . Totally on character with this one, since Q can probably repair it and modify it to do more things than the simple time only function that it has. Also since it’s so thin, it probably helps when he has to get into tight spaces when he’s working on science stuff.The watch also comes in a box that is meant to look like a little laptop computer, the kind that Q probably uses to help James Bond when hacking stuff.

You can get yours at Swatch boutiques or directly online at the following (link).

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A Singapore Story told through a SWATCH

Have a look now at what I would consider my favourite watch from the crop of Chinese New Year themed watches for 2020, the CHEESE! SQUEAK SQUEAK! from SWATCH. 

Now let’s take it all in. 

What we have here is an austere minimalist design that is monochromatic in execution with a silver matte case and mirrored dial that is meant to look like the face of the animal of the Chinese Zodiac that is being celebrated this year – the Rat. Two black dots under the SWATCH logo are for the eyes, with black whiskers extending from the central pinion cover for the nose, and a grey seconds hand that is probably representative of the rat’s tail.

One last detail on the watch that is worth mentioning is the strap keeper, that comes with a pair of ears on top to complete the look. 

The watch alone is interesting and if SWATCH had stopped there, it would exist on the border of being interesting enough, but maybe not extend to the level of being memorable. 

What makes the difference then? 

Well, how about having the watch come in a gold presentation box shaped like a slice of cheese?

Isn’t that crazy, and oh so perfect. It’s the perfect gift for friends this Chinese New Year or if not, a more accessible alternative to the metier d’arts laden CNY watches from the other brands. 

Whatever the case may be, I rate this as the best conceived Chinese New Year watch ever made! Bravo Swatch!

It’s available at SGD$140, at all SWATCH stores and online at this link. 

The destination watches from SWATCH embody this well, and as the name implies, are watches that take a particular place as its inspiration, much like the Omega Seamaster City Edition watches. (I covered the Singapore version, see the link below)

A City Edition Seamaster for Singapore with Iconic Landmarks Aplenty

The new “SINGAPORE TALE” from the Destination series is a watch that is surprising, since it comes in a colour scheme that one would not immediately imagine if one were asked to create a watch with Singapore as its theme. Indeed, as Alex Liu, SWATCH Brand Manager for Singapore said, “Having the colours of the Singapore flag, with red and white would have been too obvious, but we at SWATCH want to do things differently.”

The result is a watch that comes in two colours – blue and white – the same colours used in old Peranakan tiles that adorned shophouses from the 1970’s, making up line drawings of various innately Singaporean places and things such as the Merlion, the pungent Durian fruit, Chicken Rice, and HDB flats (government apartments that house the vast majority of Singapore’s population). There is even an Easter Egg for those old enough to remember, the dragon shaped playground that was a common fixture in the HDB estates, a piece of history that is at once iconic, as it is nostalgic.

In fact, the idea for this watch was proposed by the Singaporean artist and illustrator, Tan Zi Xi (@messymsxi on Instagram), who wanted something a little more emotional in the design. She was surprised yet delighted by SWATCH’s acceptance of the idea, and so the “SINGAPORE TALE” was born.

The watch will only be for sale in Singapore and as such will come with a price only in Singapore Dollars at SGD$125. Of course, just to be clear, it is a quartz watch, but you probably already know that. Finally there is no official limitation on the quantity that will be made, but I think there won’t be many available.