Watchmaking is inherently an artistic endeavour, because above all else, a watch is an object of self-expression. And every part of a watch’s journey – from its creation to its life on the wrist of its owner – is imbued with some form of personality. But while all horological creations have artistic merit, they aren’t created equal – some watches are just more artistic
than others. Swiss watchmaker Swatch understands this better than most, with creations that invariably skew towards the artistic side of the spectrum. Carlo Giordanetti, former creative director of Swatch from 2012 to 2019 and now CEO of the Swatch Art Peace Hotel – an artist residency in Shanghai where creative minds can live and work – shares his favourite Swatch pieces, each embodying the innovation, joy of life and positive provocation that they are known for

How Majestic (GZ711)

This is very dear to my heart as it’s a playful and surprising tribute to an iconic lady who became a pop culture phenomenon as much as she embodied one of the oldest institutions in the world. Her sense of style and colour, her typically British wit, her ability to stand out in the crowd and her motto “Let’s not take things too seriously”, resonates with me as an unexpected, yet totally authentic, Swatch attitude.

Bioceramic MoonSwatch Mission on Earth – Lava (SO33O100)

Among the many amazing variations of the Bioceramic MoonSwatch Collection, the Omega x Swatch collaboration launched in 2022, the Mission on Earth – Lava is my favourite. I love the bright, powerful, energetic tone of orange that so intensely evokes the magic of lava from erupting volcanoes. I once had the chance to witness the eruption of Mt. Etna in Sicily from a plane – those bright flashes of warm, moving light are dangerously mesmerising, as only liquid fire can be! Empowerment in the form of a watch!

Don’t Be Too Late (GA100)

My first swatch. A gift I received when Swatch was not yet available in Italy, and therefore the foundation of the “cool factor” embedded in the brand’s core identity. Swatch is a style signifier – it is there to express your personality and affirm your uniqueness. As an Italian, I like the fact that it allows you to be late – although not too late! I loved that we were able to reinterpret this slightly provocative phrase later on, when we launched “Don’t Be Too Square” (SUAB100).

Also see: 6 defining watches by IWC’s Kurt Klaus

Bioceramic What If ? Pierced Edge (SO34B100) – Swatch No Rules Collection

The swatch spirit at its best! I have greatly enjoyed the Swatch “What If?” project since the very moment it was decided to celebrate Swatch’s 40th anniversary by revisiting an “alternative” design from 1983. With the No Rules version, I believe the Swatch spirit is fully represented. It’s like a double-layered provocation: “What If?” defies expectations, through both shape and material innovation, while the Swatch No Rules Collection encourages a rebellious attitude toward conformity. To me, it’s a perfect manifesto of the Swatch DNA.

Lookseasy (SUOZ212S) by Joana Vasconcelos

Created to celebrate the Swatch pavilion “The Garden of Eden” at Venice Biennale in 2015, this amazing work of art for the wrist has an incredible genesis. As Joana Vasconcelos typically creates larger-than- life masterpieces, it was a real challenge that she embraced to create a Swatch design. She enlisted skilled artisans from her native Portugal to handcraft 999 dials in filigree – each of which we then had to adapt to Swatch’s millimetre-precise dimensions. The result: 999 “handmade” Swatch watches were produced and presented in the most luxurious packaging. One of my dearest celebrations of Swatch’s love for artists and their most unexpected dreams!

Jelly Fish (GK100)

There is no watch without a movement, and there is a sense of pride and fun in “showing it all”. This is why, for me, this is the ultimate Swatch: transparency and the purest codes applied to the epitome of a watch. I am particularly attached to my first Jelly Fish from 1985, which became the iconic model that further generations of Jelly Fish have been inspired by. Its essential design was reinterpreted by Renzo Piano in 1999, resulting in the successful Jelly Piano (GZ159). A full collection was then developed around the jellyfish concept in 2022, and today we enjoy the new Swatch Scubaqua, where mysterious and mesmerising jellyfish inspire the colours of the collection.

Also see: Audemars Piguet celebrates 150 years of horological advances