Watch the Watch: Aron Solomon’s Watch World, July 2016

Also known as “The Swatch Issue, Redux.”

I’ve covered Swatch before, not as an entire piece, but as pieces of my piece. Swatch is simply one of the more interesting stories in the watch world. Some think that Swatch has been killing watches and watch culture, others think Swatch is the bees’ knees.

I fall firmly into the latter group.

Swatch, in its broadest context, is The Swatch Group, which includes iconic brands such as Omega and Breguet. They also have other things, such as a ridiculously phly hotel in Shanghai.

But today I want to focus on actual Swatch products, one of which has me over the moon.

Damn, friend. That’s the POP Swatch.

The same iconic Swatch from the early 90s is back, baby.

And while I love almost all of the POP, I reeeeeeeeeealy want this one:

It’s difficult to explain how or why the POP was so important in the history of Swatch. And, real Swatch fanatics (I’m a passing casual fan compared to some people out there) might not even argue that POP was so important. But I think it was, in part because this way a BIG (45mm) watch in an era where few watches eclipsed even 37mm.

Here’s the new POP in black and white. This one doesn’t really ring with me but it surely will with many.

And here are all of the POP currently available in Toronto.

Honestly — this happens practically every day. People ask me about some element of style. And my answer usually involves something like “There are lots of fun things you could do. So start with one.” And, yes, here is one. Go buy and wear one of these watches.

The current awesomeness that is Swatch goes far beyond POP. Here’s what I liked best (and think you might like) from my very recent trip to Swatch.

The last one is a perfect example of how Swatch can, should they ever choose to, compete with the really big-name Swiss and Japanese brands.

Swatch is VERY capable of bringing to market a $300 sports watch competitor to a $3,000 Tag Heuer.

Sure, in so doing they’d cannibalize some of their own brand business by taking sales away from Omega and Longines, but the point is that they could.

And take a closer look at the yellow one, above. Wouldn’t take a radical redesign and “serious-ing up” to make this the new Heuer Monaco, if not in shape and weight, certainly in importance.

To me and many other watch people I know, watches are about fun. Enjoyment. The pleasure of acquiring one, wearing it, thinking about the next acquisition, wearing and comparing. Wearing a swatch is simply fun. It’s a great way for people to get into the world of watches and am even better way for people looking to step up their personal style game to do so for around a hundred bucks.

Enjoy, friends, and, as always, watch the watch.