Did this cannibalise sales of the original Speedmaster? Not a bit. According to Swatch Group, annual sales of the real thing have jumped by 50 per cent since the introduction of the MoonSwatch, making it probably the greatest marketing triumph for the company since the introduction of the original Swatch. Brilliant stuff but could it be done again, say with a different watch from the group?
The answer came this year with the reveal of another plastic fantastic based on an iconic and historic model from Blancpain, the revered Fifty Fathoms, significant as one of the earliest commercially released true diving watches.
Swatch Scuba Antarctic Ocean detail.
Five colour-coded models make up the Blancpain X Swatch Bioceramic Scuba Fifty Fathoms range, each aligned to an ocean. The Pacific Ocean (yellow), Atlantic (blue), Indian (green), Artic (beige) and Antarctic (white) are mounted on matched straps manufactured from recycled fishing nets and are water resistant to 91 metres (50 fathoms).
Could the newcomer, with its disposable Swatch Sistem51 mechanical movement, plasticky case and lack of true diver’s rating, repeat the success of the MoonSwatch? Blancpain might be a well-known brand among watch nerds, but is hardly a household name and while there were queues once again outside Swatch boutiques at the September launch, they certainly weren’t as long as for the MoonSwatch. It’s fair to say as a marketing exercise, the Fifty Fathoms release is no moonshot, but maybe that helps it retain some exclusivity.
Swatch Scuba Atlantic Ocean detail.
As to the range itself, the watches are cleverly engineered for their price points ($415 for the MoonSwatch, $630 for the Blancpain Scuba), they look and feel terrific, and – above all – they’re a lot of fun. They’re a playful way for wearers to say, “I know my watches but I’m not a timepiece snob”.
Maybe one day they might even be collectable. (One high-profile Sydney collector has all 11 variations of the MoonSwatch and firmly believes it will rise in value over time.)
Meantime, they radiate some of the cachet of the high-end models they emulate, without the onerous financial commitment. Now what’s not to like about that?
The Summer issue of AFR Magazine – plus Watch special – is out on Friday, December 8 inside The Australian Financial Review.
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