1984/1985 Kiki Picasso Prototypes
The apotheosis for every Swatch collector is to include into ones collection one of the 140 unique examples of this watch, or one of the many more of its prototypes with the dial designed by the French artist Kiki Picasso alias Christian Chapiron. This model represents the first Swatch-Art and with its design it has inflated the initially quite sober plastic Swiss watch with the potential to get a piece of real Pop-Art. This potential has culminated in amazingly high sale prices at specialized auctions in the early 1990ies.
But it is not the monetary value which makes this watch a special piece:
A unique plastic mixture has been used for the casing and the straps, which contained a color changing pigment, making the watch transpire in purple and green shades, depending on the light conditions. It is the only transparent case, a part of the ‘Original Jelly’ and a few prototypes, to have a thin battery hatch ring. For the prototypes also ‘normal’ transparent and mate cases were used.
The initial design from Christian Chapiron submitted to Swatch consisted of two different motives, both of them showing the artist’s partner Minh in different poses with radial protrusions of stylized watch hands. Swatch chose the version with the more asymmetrical motive, where Minh’s face is slightly elevated and facing left. The dynamics of movement is accentuated by the raised left arm and the spreaded three fingers.
One of the goals during the prototyping of the dial was to decide towards which side Minh’s face should be looking. Consequently many different dials with inverted design have been created. At the same time the engineers, following Marlyse Schmid’s and Bernhard Müller’s designs, experimented with transparent vs. white or colored backgrounds and different color combinations in the cells delimitated by the lines of the motive.
Finally it was decided to stick with the original orientation of the face (towards left). To keep the design element of transparency, it was decided to print the dial on thin Plexiglas sheets and to leave some of the cells transparent to enable the view of turning day/date discs behind it.
The metal day/date discs have also been printed with the same design and color combinations as the dial. Some prototypes exist where only the day/date discs compose the dial. The intricate play of the turning discs, together with the static dial permit a re-composition of the dial’s motive twice a year. It is noteworthy to state, that the day-disc rotates clockwise, whereas the date disc is rotating anti-clockwise.
140 models were finally produced, 120 of those have been offered to VIP’s and public personalities together with a poster depicting all 120 dials with their respective unique color combination. The distrubution took place during the official lauch of Swatch France at the Centre Pompidou in Paris mid 1985.
The prototypes shown in the picture are hand made, non-working models. The black and white version on the left represents one of the very first design studies for proportion whereas the model on the right already has a colored dial. Both prototypes have been made prior to the idea of the Schmüllers to have the rotating disc behind the dial. Both dials are low quality prints on paper and come from one of the many Swatch engineers working on the project. The watches had been used as reference material for proportion and color. Both cases have no codes on their back.
Some straps of prototypes bear the printed signature of the artist, as all 120 ‘market’-versions. The straps of the watches shown here are not Swatch originals but as compensation the artist’s signature is no print, they are actually signed personally by Kiki Picasso!
If you would like to see more of Kiki Picasso‘s art, just follow the link.
1985 Andrew Logan: GK100 AL Test
This Swatch has been designed for the “Alternative Miss World” contest in 1985 organized by the british artist Andrew Logan. Swatch was sponsor of the event, so Andrew integrated his flashy style using broken Christmas ornament glass, high-quality faux pearls and gemstones in clear and blue tones, along with lots and lots of glitter to the 1985 GK100 Jelly fish.
The theme of the contest held the 31st of May 1985 in London was “Under The Sea”, hence the choice of taking the Swatch named “Jelly Fish” and adding a little more fish to it was quite ingenious!
According to personal communication with Andrew Logan this is the only test piece made for the design of the definitive 50 pieces. The difference to the others is an additional safety pin on the back of the “head” of the fish, a dummy version of the GK100 and the somehow strange overall look of the fish itself.
If you want to know more about the excentric world of Andrew Logan you can follow this link.
1987 Tadanori Yokoo: Rorrim 5 Prototype
This model represents one of the very first steps in the creation of a Swatch. Originally designed by the Japanese artist Tadanori Yokoo it shows a big yellow, mirrored 5 with other numbers and arrows protruding from the mount Fuji and the rising sun on the right of the dial. Effectively the name of the model is the mirrored word ‘Mirror’.
The dial is made of very low quality, plastified paper and the hands are glued in. The case is a non-working dummy with no codes on the back.
The final version, issued in a limited edition of 5000, shows even more design elements linked to Japan, with a red and black strap and a transparent case. Also the hands have been changed to arrows, in order to recall the arrows on the dial.
In Japan the design has been pushed even further by adding a special package.
If you want to enter the colorful world of Tadanori Yokoo, just follow this link.
1988 Pierre Alechinsky: Devoreuse Prototype
Even if this watch seems rather to be a variant (missing second hand) than a prototype, one has to look very closely to the dial:
It is a paper dial (unlike the market version) of which the date slot has been cut by hand. This prototype is one of the latest hand refined steps before making the final decision about the definitive model.
The Swatch designers were not really sure whether producing the three Swatches with or without second hands. We are sure, that even the question wheather having a date on the ‘Devoreuse’ had been discussed intensely. Other very rare variants use white casings instead of black ones.
This watch has the production code for 1987, and no country code. The watch is fully working.
More about the Belgian artist Pierre Alechinsky can be found following the link.
1988 Valerio Adami: Deux Amoureux / La Donna Prototypes
Before deciding to produce the definitive model called ‘Deux Amoureux’ Swatch received from the Italian artist Valerio Adami the drawing of a stylized, naked women on her back which many interpret as being masturbating. Even if this concept should have been interrupted right away because it would not be compatible with the image of Swatch, the engineers granted Adami his artistic freedom an made a few prototypes using his initial design.
The first prototypes where printed shiny stickers placed on metal dials. These have been placed in transparent cases, as the example on the left of the picture. These early prototypes had a second hand and some of them had a strap with the script (I watch I woman). Later versions retain the same script on the strap, but the watch gets all black and the design is now directly printed on metal dials. One can see the difference in contrast between the sticker (good black/white contrast) and the printed dial (poorer black/white contrast). Most later, black versions have no second hand, but can also have all-black hands.
This design has been rejected in the early prototyping phase being too provocative and has been replaced by the more romantic design of the kissing couple. The script on the strap has been changed to the signature of Valerio Adami, as mounted on the black prototype in the picture.
The two prototypes on the picture are non-working, hand made pieces. The black case has no codes on the back, the transparent case bears the production code of 1987. The background shows the prototype in the Blum-collection (picture on post card).
For more information about Valerio Adami, please follow the link.
1989 Mimmo Paladino: Oigol Oro Test
Not a prototype, but the most sought after Swatch even before the Kiki Picasso! This version is no different than the final produced ones. Just the fact that it lacks all codes on the back makes it different. This watch was obtained directly from a head of production of Swatch and represents of of just a few test models to check for the correct insert of the hands, the uniform print and gilding of the ears.
Mimmo Paladino, is one of the best known Italian artists exposing all over the world. This watch designed by him incorporates his style and recalls the century old message of ‘memento mori’, then (17th century and again during the early 19th century) represented by watches mounted inside cases in shape of human skulls which should remember the owner that life is temporary and that time runs fast for everyone. This message is reinforced by the use of the minute hand in form of a sickle which cuts time as it passes. The whole design represents the philosophy of shortness of life and time like no other modern watch.
The watch lacks also the case and all papers, but it is in fully working condition.
Swatch Prototypes 