During the late 80's, Swatch watch was introduced in the Philippines. I can vividly remember when Lea Salonga (Best Actress, Miss Saigon, Tony Awards) endorses and wears a Swatch watch during her TV show programs. She would always say, "Thank you Swatch!" Back then, Swatch was super popular among teenagers. Though being sold in the Philippines as a bit pricey compared to Japanese quartz watches, Swatch was selling like hotcakes!
When I studied in Manila, I saved some of my allowance to buy a Swatch watch. Most of my school mates wore Swatch. I wanted to be "IN", so I saved on money and bought one. My first ever Swatch was made of plastic. I forgot the design of the dial but it was "artsy". I later learned that Swatch connected with art. Swatch watches were inspired by popular culture and Swatch became a "canvass" for famous artists.
I took care my first Swatch. I wiped it with a clean soft cloth before I go to bed. I put it back on its plastic rectangular see-through case after I cleaned it.
According to my research, Swatch was the answer to the losing market share of Swiss watches during the 70's. Swiss watches dropped its market share from 50% to 15%. People were patronizing cheap quartz watches from Asia. Though cheap, the quartz watches from Asia tell accurate time. Even Swiss nationals are buying cheap quartz watches by the thousands!
The only problem with Swatch that I can remember is, you cannot replace the battery when the battery drains because the battery is inside the case. There is no way to open up the case. Once you try to open the case, you will damage the whole watch. But even if the Swatch battery only lasted for a year or less, it was worth buying a Swatch watch at that time.
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| All photos are from Swatch webpage. |
Have you own one Swatch before? If not, it is not too late to own one. :)
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