Retro Swatch Watches from the '80s and '90s

Swatch obviously did not plan on making it easy for collectors to acquire the complete collections. If you want the entire collection, you will have to face the complicated task of ordering it direct from Switzerland or search out every single Swatch outlet. Swatch provides each store with watches on its own prerogative without giving stores the opportunity to ask for certain styles. Also, Swatch produces only a certain number of each watch design, only 100-300 for the whole world, and this is why the price for some styles is ten to twenty times higher than their original price.

If you're not looking to buy an entire collection but would just like a few retro pieces thank you, you may refer to the following list of Swatch families.


Swatch Originals
The Originals are plastic cased watches. These are the first watches to come out in the '80s and are available in various sizes, shapes and designs. The originals have sub-families as well:
- Standard Collection (Standard Gents, Standard Ladies, Pop Swatch, Automatic Swatch)
- Chrono Watches
- Water Watches
- Ski/Access Watches
- Specials



Swatch Irony
In 1994 Swatch launched the first collection of stainless steel gent and medium size Ironies in the USA. This line has a more classic feel, as opposed to the trendy quality of the original plastic line.



Swatch Skin
The skin family contains two sub families: Original Skin and Skin Chronograph. The original skin was introduced on October 6, 1997 as a thinner version of the original Swatch Watch. It is ultra thin, standing at 3.9 mm thin hence the name Swatch Skin. The swatch skin later went on to enter the Guinness world book of records as the world's thinnest plastic watch. The Swatch Chronograph is the Swatch skin with a chronograph function. It has two additional buttons on the side of the watch.



Swatch Beat
The Beat family launched in 1998 and incorporated beat watches across the three existing families, adding twists and extra features. Swatch Beat is their digital line and integrates Internet Time.

If you're serious about building a Swatch collection though, these book guides will certainly help.

All photos are from Squiggly except main photo