Swatch

1980s Swatch Watch

Swatch (Second Watch) was a company founded in 1983 in Switzerland that made stylish analog watches.  Competition was stiff in the early 80's as Japanese companies dominated the market with their digital watches.  Swatch entered the market with a colorful product and a clever marketing campaign.  It is worth noting that the company is still in business, with many of their watches still having a quirky design.  The Swatch was reasonably priced for a Swiss made watch, and was somewhat of an engineering breakthrough in that the watch contained nearly 50% less parts that the traditional Swiss watch.  Watches were very colorful, with designs typical of the 1980's.  Accessories included things like the "Swatch Guard", a little rubber band that would stretch across the face of the watch to protect it from scratches, and the "Pop Swatch", which allowed people to attach their Swatch to their clothing.