The first encounter with one of the world’s most renowned artworks is an unforgettable experience that sparks creative inspiration and a sense of discovery. Swatch has consistently found innovative ways to infuse people’s lives with more art, and when the worlds of art and Swatch converge, exciting things happen.

In 2023, Swatch Art Journey continues with the release of five capsule collections from mid-March to May. The entire range is an adventure through various moments in art history, featuring iconic works from Botticelli to Lichtenstein, infused with unexpected details that are unmistakably Swatch.

Swatch pays homage to artists who dared to experiment with ten masterpieces in its signature GENT, NEW GENT, and playfully provocative style. The result is a celebration of creativity and originality that is quintessentially Swatch.

In 1985, Swatch began its love affair with art by launching the first of many Art Special watches. With a commitment to making art accessible to all, Swatch partnered with renowned museums to recreate some of their most iconic works as part of the Museum Journey series. The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum in Madrid were the first to collaborate with Swatch in 2018, followed by the Musée du Louvre in Paris in 2019, MoMA in New York in 2021, and Centre Pompidou in Paris in 2022.

SWATCH X MOMA
Exciting news for Pop Art enthusiasts! Swatch and MoMA have joined forces once again to pay tribute to the iconic American Pop artist, Roy Lichtenstein. This collaboration features two dynamic watches that showcase Lichtenstein’s signature comic-style art and single-color Benday dots, fused with Swatch’s playful and creative design approach, using artwork from MoMA’s collection.

GIRL BY ROY LICHTENSTEIN, THE WATCH
Lichtenstein’s flair for innovation led him to design a rotating easel and his famous Benday technique that is on the reverse of this watch strap. The power of a smile is mesmerizing, and Swatch reproduces the famous artwork Girl (1963), with the blonde woman taking center stage.

REVERIE BY ROY LICHTENSTEIN, THE WATCH
Roy Lichtenstein’s early passion for jazz music served as a source of inspiration for many of his renowned works, such as Reverie (1965). The speech bubble loop on the artwork features the famous text, “The melody haunts my reverie,” while the canary yellow strap of the Swatch watch pays homage to the woman’s blonde hair depicted in the piece.

SWATCH X MAGRITTE
Renowned surrealist painter René Magritte is celebrated for his unique and imaginative aesthetic, which features evocative symbols such as the bowler hat and pipes. In honor of the artist’s 125th birthday, Swatch has created two watches that transform his most iconic paintings into wearable pieces of art for the wrist.

LA TRAHISON DES IMAGES BY RENÉ MAGRITTE
Magritte’s use of wordplay was just as integral to his art as his imagery, as evidenced by his famous 1929 piece, “The Treachery of Images.” Swatch pays tribute to this iconic artwork by featuring the text “Ceci est une Swatch” on the strap of the watch, a playful reference to the original’s “Ceci n’est pas une pipe.” The packaging for this collaboration is also whimsical and surreal, evoking the spirit of Dadaism and embodying the Swatch brand’s creative and playful ethos.

LE FILS DE L’HOMME BY RENÉ MAGRITTE
It’s a fun fact that Magritte’s most recognizable works were actually self-portraits, including his famous 1964 painting “The Son of Man,” which features a bowler-hatted figure with a green apple hovering in front of his face. The strap of the Swatch watch features the playful text “Ceci est une Swatch avec une pomme,” which is a clever reference to the artist’s famous quote “Ceci n’est pas une pipe.”

SWATCH X LE GALLERIE DEGLI UFFIZI
The esteemed Le Gallerie degli Uffizi, famous for its vast collection of Renaissance masterpieces, is home to both Sandro Botticelli’s “Allegory of Spring” and “The Birth of Venus,” which are displayed in the same room. However, with Swatch’s new collaboration with the museum, art lovers can now wear these iconic works on their wrists and appreciate them up close at any time.

NASCITA DI VENERE BY SANDRO BOTTICELLI
“The Birth of Venus” by Botticelli, created around 1486, was initially considered so scandalous that it was kept hidden behind closed doors for fifty years. Swatch’s reproduction of this iconic painting on their watch is of exceptional quality, with the texture of the original painting being meticulously replicated. The dial features the gods of wind, Zephyr and Breeze, along with Aura gently pushing Venus towards the shore. The unmistakably beautiful face of Venus and pink roses adorn the strap of the watch, making it a wearable piece of art.

ALLEGORIA DELLA PRIMAVERA BY SANDRO BOTTICELLI
Indeed, the natural world played a significant role in Botticelli’s art, and ‘Allegory of Spring’ is a prime example of this. The painting is believed to have been commissioned by the Medici family and was completed in the late 1470s or early 1480s. The Swatch version of the painting features Flora, the goddess of flowers, and the strap showcases a variety of flowers, including violets, cornflowers, wild strawberries, and myrtle, among others. This watch is a stunning tribute to the beauty of nature and Botticelli’s artistic vision.

SWATCH X LOUVRE ABU DHABI
Swatch and Louvre Abu Dhabi’s collaboration brings together two distinct cultural icons: the Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai’s celebrated woodblock print, The Great Wave off Kanagawa, and the sophisticated astronomical instrument, Astrolabe, by Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Battûtî. This unique watch fuses the classic Japanese artwork with the intricate details of the astrolabe, creating a beautiful and fascinating design.

THE GREAT WAVE OFF KANAGAWA BY KATSUSHIKA HOKUSAI & THE ASTROLABE
Hokusai’s example proves that creativity knows no age limit, as he was 60 years old when he created his most renowned print, “Under the Wave off Kanagawa,” which is part of the famous Japanese series, “Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji.” The watch design draws inspiration from the courageous spirit of exploration that drives humanity to confront the vastness of the ocean, the power of nature, and the majesty of the night sky. The Swatch features shades of Prussian blue, reminiscent of Hokusai’s masterpiece. The dial and front side of the watch strap showcase a detailed image of the cresting wave, which plays with perspective to make Mount Fuji look small within its hollow. The underside of the watch depicts elements of the Astrolabe, a marvel of human invention, which is a flat projection of the night sky that was used to calculate the position of stars and determine the exact time of day.