The Watch Journey – Watch Brand tier List – Swatch

Welcome to the 7th instalment of my watch journey. The Watch brand Tier list currently stands at Rolex Last, Tudor second last followed by the fashion brands. The next level up are Swatch watches. In 2024 the Swatch group is a very large watch making company, a combination encouraged (forced) by the Swiss government back in 1980’s to merge (collect) many former unprofitable brands and part suppliers ruined by the introduction of Quartz technology and more nimble competitors. It was the Swiss watch industry’s ‘Kodak moment’ which they managed to avoid this particular time.   

Swatch branded watches where a hit when released. They where colourful, plastic but modern designs and used quartz technology to make them more accurate and reliable than any other brand including Rolex. Swatch watches where sold not only on their accuracy but fashion statement. Interestingly they didn’t sell digital watches that where all the rage in the 1980’s and 1990’s. 

Swatch watches faded away a little but always known for their regular and highly desirable limited edition collaborations with a sorts of people. They made only made a couple movements but thousands of designs and most all of them with analogue hands. That said they also had a sole mechanical movement. 

Their latest high profile collaborations was with Omega in the form of the Moon Swatch collection and even more recently Blancpain 50 Fathoms. Since most self proclaimed watch ‘experts’ and even the amateurs get caught up in detesting them, it only shows that they do not understand the economics and marketing of watches, as a result of this very clear reveal I literally view many of them (not all) now as just talking heads or entertainment and ‘limited’. I understood why the brands did it in the space of a few hours and I certainly respect every single release. 

They are a level up on the traditional fashion brand watches on the watch brand tier list because Swatch made the watch a fashion statement. As much as I love them they only get this far because they are not as cheap as they should be due to intrinsic build quality and way too disposable in 2024.