The First Swatch Watch 1983

Swatch (the Swiss watch brand) launched its first watches in 1983.

Here’s a quick breakdown:

• Background:
  In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the Swiss watch industry was in crisis due to the rise of cheap, accurate quartz watches from Japan (the “Quartz Crisis”).

• The Idea:
  Nicolas G. Hayek and the Swatch Group (then SMH) developed Swatch as a fun, affordable, Swiss-made quartz watch with a plastic case and bold, colorful designs.

• First Collection:
  The first Swatch watches debuted in March 1983 with 12 models.
  They were meant to be fashionable, collectible, and inexpensive — unlike traditional luxury Swiss watches.

• Impact:
  The launch was a massive success and is credited with saving the Swiss watch industry. Swatch became a pop culture phenomenon in the 1980s and 1990s.

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