Swatch, after its high-profile collaboration with Omega and Swatch last year, is now partnering with Blancpain.
In the full-page advertisements of The New York Times and The Washington Post dated September 1st, a card featuring the Swatch logo inside a pool was displayed. Beneath the card was the date September 9, 2023, with an “x” marked above the Swatch logo. Upon closer examination of the upper right corner of the card, a silhouette of a Blancpain Fifty Fathoms watch was discernible. This was the first advertisement for the Swatch x Blancpain collaboration, set to be announced on September 9th. Interestingly, Swatch chose to promote this collaboration through newspaper pages, a method it hadn’t used extensively in the past.
Swatch’s Instagram post on September 3rd confirmed the collaboration between the two brands and the official announcement set for September 9th. In the post, Swatch featured a world map designed to highlight the five oceans, with Swatch and Blancpain logos placed on it, signifying the date September 9th. But what kind of a collaboration does the imagery of a Swatch logo card submerged in a pool and the Swatch x Blancpain logos positioned over the oceans signify?
Based on the Instagram post, it is anticipated that the Swatch x Blancpain models will be named after the five oceans, and the colors of the models will be inspired by the oceans. Additionally, there’s an expectation that the collaboration may involve a dive watch. Considering Blancpain’s celebration of the 70th anniversary of its Fifty Fathoms collection this year, it’s quite likely that the Fifty Fathoms collection will play a significant role in the new models.
The Swatch x Blancpain collection, set to be released on September 9th, will be available exclusively in Swatch boutiques, much like the MoonSwatch collection. In Blancpain boutiques, these watches will only be on display. This collaboration represents another instance where a luxury watch brand is making its timepieces accessible to enthusiasts at more affordable prices. Whether it will generate the same level of anticipation as the MoonSwatch collection is a matter of curiosity for now.
