Sotheby’s sells significant Swatch collection for 1.3m dollars

An extensive and important collection of Swatch memorabilia – including close to 1,000 watches, 380 ultra-rare prototypes, plus sketches, artwork, cases and dials – was sold by Sotheby’s for 1.3m US dollars at its Important Watches sale in Geneva…

Swatch’s very DNA

The extensive collection belonged to designers Marlyse Schmid and Bernard Muller, who were part of the small team instrumental in the launch of Swatch in the early 1980s. Operating in secrecy to make their innovative ‘Vulgaris’ prototype a reality, the philosophy behind the brand was to offer Swiss-made watches at affordable prices – the ‘S’ in Swatch allegedly stood for both Swiss and second, as in a second watch.

Having been stored in an attic in the Canton Neuchâtel for many years, the collection retraces the early history of Swatch, from technical drawings of the very first ‘Vulgaris’ prototype, through the iconic transparent ‘Jelly Fish’ model, to the sought-after limited ‘Swatch Art Special’ series of watches, created in collaboration with famous artists such as Kiki Picasso and Keith Haring. Swatch has become particularly well-received by collectors, and for good reason. According to Sotheby’s, “Swatch completely transformed a delicate market situation for the entire Swiss watch industry, and democratised Swiss watches.”