01.3.4 swatch

POSITIVE PROVOCATION

Swatch’s expansive boutique on the ground and mezzanine floors of The Swatch Art Peace Hotel presents the brand’s trendy and colorful watches and jewelry and offers dedicated space for special events and art exhibitions. The environment conveys the brand’s core values: emotion, joy of life, innovation and positive provocation. Elements of contemporary design combine with the historic details that have kept the former Peace Hotel South Building and The Bund among Shanghai’s most popular destinations for more than a century.

Swatch remains a significant player in the fascinating story of the Swiss watch industry. In the 1970s, the industry was undergoing the biggest crisis it had ever known. In 1979, Swiss watchmakers pulled off an amazing feat: they launched the “Delirium Tremens”. The world’s thinnest wristwatch at the time, it had a limited number of components, which soon led to a revolution in the world of watchmaking: in 1983 Nicolas G. Hayek launched the Swatch, a plastic-cased watch consisting of only 51 components instead of the usual 90 or more, enabling the brand to offer high quality and innovative design at an affordable price.

This wristwatch soon spread its “joie de vivre” right across the globe. Its phenomenal success – it was the most successful watch of all time – played a crucial role in the recovery and renaissance of the Swiss watch industry. Its parent company, Swatch Group, went on to become the largest and most dynamic watchmaking company in the world.

In the more than twenty-five years since the brand was founded, Swatch has continued to introduce new product lines and colorful new models made possible by remarkable advances in materials and production technology. Swatch today is founded on three pillars: Art, Fashion and Sports. Throughout the year, the brand launches new collections and special editions, maintaining its trend-setting role at the forefront of Swiss watchmaking.

A strong supporter of the contemporary arts, Swatch is a partner of The 54th International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, and continues to work with artists from a broad range of disciplines to create exciting new “art for the wrist”.

For more information, please visit swatch.com.