Posted By Pia Sooney on Nov 1, 2006 | 5 comments

Swatch Watches to the Max

Unless you were a complete loser, you had at least two or three Swatch watches when growing up in the 80s. If you were really cool, you had a dozen or more and you wore two or three at the same time. I mean, if one is totally rad, then two must be, like, tripendicular, right?

Swatch launched its first watches in March of 1983; this Spring marks their 30th anniversary. The name, created by Nichole Lopez (so sayeth Wikipedia) comes from “second watch” as these new watches marked a totally novel approach to watches as fun and casual accessories.

Everything Swatch

And this new concept really took off. Swatch watches weren’t just watches – they were part of 80s culture. Everyone had them and there were stores established dedicated to selling nothing but these highly-coveted timepiece accessories. They came in every imaginable color and design so your Swatch watch said volumes about who you were. Were you the sleek black and white design or the crazy colored ones with the geometric graphics? In fact, Swatch watches were accessories that had accessories of their own. They sold Swatch watch “guards” that went over the face of the watch. After all, you wouldn’t want to scratch the face of your Swatch.

If you were really into Swatch watches, you could buy Swatch watches called Swatch Pops that allowed you to attach your watches to your clothing, Swatch wall clocks that were giant swatch watches that you could hang on your bedroom wall (check out this one – at right), and some people even bought Swatch watches to wear as ponytail hair bands. Yes, a costly hair band, but a bitchin’ hair accessory nonetheless.

Vintage Swatches are Collectible

If you still have a few of your old Swatch watches, you may be surprised to find out they’ve become quite the collector’s item. Yes indeed, serious Swatch enthusiasts never let the trend die and now they pay top dollar for the Swatch watches of yesteryear. Bottom line is this – if you still have your Swatch watches and you want to wear them, do so with. If you have them and you have no use for them, sell them to a collector and you can make a pretty penny for those 80s Swatch watches you have lying around.  Check ebay for the market values of your particular vintage swatch model.

New Swatches Available

And, the really good news is that you can still buy great, new Swatches to add to your collection. There is a huge Swatch store right in the middle of Times Square in New York and one on the Champs Elysees in Paris. I picked up this sweet new Swatch watch last year in Tampa. The construction and cool factor is still there, just like it was in the 80s—but, I think I’ll stick to one at a time this go ‘round.