From highly sought-after collaborations with OMEGA and Blancpain, to head-turning new releases like the Power of Nature collection and its square Bioceramic What If… timepieces, if there’s one watchmaker that’s started 2024 firing on all cylinders, it’s Swatch. And with the opening of a stunning new Melbourne flagship store—the largest in Australia— acting as the icing on its multi-layered horology cake, there’s never been a more exciting time to follow the iconic Swiss watchmaker.
To celebrate the launch of this must-visit retail location at 260 Collins Street Mall, Melbourne, we’re diving into the key releases that have seen Swatch go from strength to strength of late, as it has consistently launched some of its most desirable, collectable, and innovative watches yet.
Power of Nature Collection
Drawing inspiration from the great outdoors, with tributes to fire, ice, water, and stone, this collection sees Swatch deploying inventive details and unique textures across dials and straps, striking the perfect balance between practicality, innovation, and style.
There’s nothing quite like relaxing by a campfire and the first of the four Power of Nature timepieces is a celebration of precisely that. With a textured black dial, brushed stainless steel bezel, red second hand, and khaki textile strap, Swatch’s By the Bonfire watch recalls the earthy tones of the outdoors and the last embers flickering in the charcoal left by the campfire.
The second watch in the collection features an oversized design constructed from stainless steel with a sandblasted finish. Echoing the uniquely icy chill of mountain peaks, Swatch’s Frost Bloom timepiece boasts a textured metallic blue dial and 3D indices as a tribute to the singular beauty of an ice-laden panorama.
Sunbaked Sandstone is the third watch in the Power of Nature collection, taking inspiration from the wavy patterns of sand dunes and the heat of the desert sun. With an ultra-slim design constructed from stainless steel, it features a beige dial with white and pink print, paired with the practicality of a beige textile strap.
The final timepiece in Swatch’s Power of Nature collection is an elegant nod to the power of the waterfall. Ultra-thin and durable, the stainless-steel Splash Dance watch features a textured dial in metallic blue with green print, with luminous details designed to recall the flow of water over rock as it enters freefall.
OMEGA X Swatch MoonSwatch
This innovative and refreshingly affordable collaboration between Swatch and OMEGA made quite the splash on launch and continues to send ripples of excitement throughout the watch-loving community. Celebrating the icon that is the Speedmaster Moonwatch—the first watch ever worn on the Moon—it offers up an incredibly varied collection of 11 timepieces, each named after a planetary body in our solar system, from our blazing sun to everyone’s favourite “dwarf” planet, Pluto.
Constructed using bioceramic material, the variety of colours and details on offer within the collection ensures everyone has a favourite, even if we can’t necessarily agree on which that should be — for instance Man of Many’s Ben Mckimm purchased the Mission to Saturn, whereas your humble author is quite fond of the Mission to Neptune.
Considering how highly collectable these MoonSwatches are, it’s fortunate they’re a non-limited series. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself tempted to purchase more than one.
Blancpain x Swatch Scuba Fifty Fathoms
Another groundbreaking collaboration, this collection saw Swatch join forces with Blancpain to honour the first true diver’s watch: the Fifty Fathoms. Boasting five models at first—Arctic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, and Antarctic Ocean—and then later welcoming the addition of the Ocean of Storms release, each watch from the range is constructed from bioceramic material and offers up its own signature colourway, along with a beautiful illustration on the back of each case.
Powered by a SISTEM51 movement, these mechanical watches are equipped with a NATO strap that’s created using recycled fishing nets, which is a fitting nod to the affection for the ocean that fuelled the first Fifty Fathoms’ creation over 70 years ago.
Like the OMEGA X Swatch MoonSwatch timepieces, Swatch’s collaboration with Blancpain is a non-limited offering that has struck a chord with collectors and watch lovers in Australia and around the world.
Bioceramic What If… Collection
This striking range asks the question, what would the Swatch story look like if the brand’s first watch had traded its iconic round design for a handsome square one instead? In this imagined parallel universe, Swatch offers up a range of silky matte styles—again crafted from the brand’s innovative bioceramic material—that feature edge-to-edge square glass and a day-date window at 3 o’clock. Plus, each watch in the range features a printed battery cover on the back that depicts one of the original round watch faces from which this range took its hypothetical approach.
Now available in four eye-catching soft pastel hues—Rose, Lemon, Sky, and Mint—along with the original Black, Green, Grey, and Beige, the Bioceramic What If.. collection offers up immaculate style from a possible alternate reality.
Swatch’s New Melbourne Flagship Store
To get your hands on any of the incredible timepieces outlined above, don’t miss Swatch’s new flagship store, located on 260 Collins Street Mall in the heart of Melbourne’s CBD. As Swatch’s largest Australian retail location—boasting a massive 239 square metre footprint—it features an enormous range of the brand’s most desirable watches. In addition to those we’ve already covered here, you’ll find the Swatch NEON, Swatch Art Journey, and Big Bold ranges, which you’re invited to explore amidst the relaxing, fun, and casual atmosphere with help from Swatch’s friendly staff.
For those located outside Melbourne, fear not, as you can explore everything Swatch has to offer at one of the brand’s other convenient locations: Pitt Street, Bondi Junction, Queen Street, South Wharf, and the recently opened Murray Street Mall. While Swatch has consistently knocked it out of the park of late, we have a feeling the brand is just getting started. It’s always an exciting time when Swatch is on a roll, so keep an eye on Swatch Australia’s Instagram to ensure you don’t miss what this iconic Swiss watchmaker has up its sleeve next.
