Is Swatch running out of ideas?

[sir_swatch]

Is Swatch running out of ideas?

I was so very excited when I heard of the new Van Gogh limited editions. His paintings are very surreal and would make some very interesting designs for a Swatch.

Then I saw the pictures of the three watches. Who does Swatch think they are kidding? As a collector, I am not at all pleased with an old Swatch case that was fitted with a new strap. Anybody can change a strap!

[41howie]

Hi,
I must admit I was disappointed when I saw these watches.
I won't be trying to add these to my collection. I can't even see me buying them to wear everyday, they are just so bland for me. Still on the plus side there arer still some nice watches out there!
Howie

[Hans]

Now try to follow me on this one.

If you look at the sleeves and compare them to the straps you will find there is a part of the picture in the middle missing. I am sure Swatch intended to use that piece of the picture to create dials for these! I don't know why they did not do it but it was meant to have the dial as part of the overall picture.

Now use your skill and imagination! Of course I asked Sophia to get me some (thanks Sophia, you are a doll!). Most people are able to print some dials from the missing piece on the sleeve. Don't worry about any copyrights, these Van Goghs are way old enough to have no more copyrights on them. So if you get yourself some Automatic cases and fit them with the correct dials you will have a lovely set.

I know I will!

[41howie]

Hans,
you always come up with a good answer!
I will have to look at these a little closer.
Many thanks for your insight.
Best regards Howie

[Hans]

Will show pix once mine are finished!

[41howie]

Hans,
great look forward to seeing them.
Best Howie

[masas]

Hi,
I can agree with sir_swatch... there some Swatch that deserves a better "treatment" like for example these Van Gogh's Swatch or the recent US Destination Box, with six watches and only one is real new...

This is a good and cheap way to make new special editions and maybe a way to recover some Swatch that they never sold, I could wonder stand some editions like this but waist some good opportunities to create a Swatch like the Van Gogh edition...

Regards,
Marco Soares

[JellyHead]

They don't need any new ideas. They should just do more variations on the Jelly Fish models.

[Hans]

A Chrono Automatic Jelly Fish?

[Rob]

Had a discussion with Haes in my office and Swatch only produces a complete watch when they can make 10,000 units or more.
For this event they didn't need these quantities, so they stopped with the idea.

Please remember that Swatch need also permission from the owners of the paintings to make Van Gogh watches and that's not simple and cheap....

[sir_swatch]

How sad...
10,000 is still a very small number for a special. After all, look at how high the numbers went for some of the specials in the 1990's : 29,999 39,999 and even 59,999!

Rob, Haes: How many units of a standard model Swatch are produced at a time... 100,000 ?

[Hans]

I would say generally 50,000-100,000.

Don't forget these specials were made for a special occasion and not as a worldwide special. As a worldwide special they would surely sell those 10,000 pieces. In this case a few hundreds would be max.

For commercial use (like the Ajax watch) 10,000 is the minimum. Ajax never managed to sell such figures and a lot are left. They are now worth next to nothing. I think a special should be hard to get!

For Swatch themselves small amounts have never been a problem. 120 Kiki's, 700 Rotors and many more. It's just a money thing and I think crisis made them abandon the dial development. I am very sure they considered it.

And, like Rob suggests, costs may be higher. I am not really sure about that because international copyright laws state that the copyright only holds for 70 years. Besides that Swatch had an artist make an impression of the original paintings, they are not just copies. Well, the impression is a copy after all.

[JellyHead]

A Chrono Automatic Jelly Fish?

I'm very confident that such an item would sell like hot cakes.

[Hans]

For sure I would buy one!

[r1chard]

Is Swatch running out of ideas?

I was so very excited when I heard of the new Van Gogh limited editions. His paintings are very surreal and would make some very interesting designs for a Swatch.

Then I saw the pictures of the three watches. Who does Swatch think they are kidding? As a collector, I am not at all pleased with an old Swatch case that was fitted with a new strap. Anybody can change a strap!

i think designing straps to fit old case/s is creative enough. though as plastic watches wear it is the straps that go first. what's left, most of the time, are the cases. sometimes the dials get faded (shattered maybe) too. i'd say nice try swatch. i really hope they'll released van gogh dials as well. he's one of my fave. yeah what else is there for plastic watches?