“Mixing in Switzerland, Trying To Buy Time”

Swiss timpieces have been near and dear to my heart since I was merely a pint-sized, nappy-headed African. So when I grew up, and my bank account did the same, I made sure every trip I made to Switzerland resulted in my purchasing a watch or two until I got to a point where I felt my collection was complete save for maybe one or 2 more.

Recently, during one of my out of town excursions, some inbred vandals broke into my crib and managed to find one of my watch cases. I came home to an open box with no watches in it. The sharpened blade on the sword of Damacles shall cleave in tween whomsoever I should find rocking any of my watches, this I swear by Thor.

Sigh.

The case they raided was filled with the Swatches. If you’re looking for something classy, Swiss, but not outrageously priced, you need to peep the following selection of Swatch watches.

Name: Chronoplastic (Spring/Summer ’09)
Price: $115 a piece

Summer’s on the way, and these bad boys would be the perfect companions whether you’re on Miami Beach in shorts and a tank top feeling sporty, or in New York in a white tee and shorts, just chilling. I was not a big fan when I first got one from a friend. But it grew on me and now I cosign heavily.

Name: Full Blooded (Fall ’07)
Price: $150 a piece

I had 2 pairs of the black, and a white(that I don’t think they sell anymore). My alternate daily watch. These joints go hard. The metal band makes these pieces serious enough that you could almost dress them up but their light-weight feel, and transparent plastic highlights gives them a slightly more relaxed feel. Perfect for the club, and definitely a favorite among the ladies. Shout out to Michele.

This is where things get serious.

Name: Cold Blooded (Spring/Summer ’07)
Price: $220+

This was one of the pieces that was stolen from me. It hurt my soul to find it missing. Very gorgeous watch, especially in person. The leather straps are a brilliant contrasting touch against that silver colored face. Cool thing about it, is the large second hand only ticks from the 3 to the 9 position before swinging back to the 3 position. Not practical at all, just optional fun. This was easily the stand out piece in the Swatch Collection; a personal favorite.

Name: A Serious Affair (Winter ??)
Price: $245+

This was a gift once upon a Christmas. I never even wore it. Not once. Kept waiting for the perfect time to style on haters. But alas, the haters got tired of waiting and crept in my back door (super pause).

Name: Haze Black (Irony Retrograde Winter ’08)
Price: $220+

When I began replenishing my stock, this was the first piece I copped. That black leather, white metal contrast is a sure win for any occasion. Hands down, this piece is responsible for the most double-takes of all the watches I’ve ever had. The ladies (and sometimes gents) glance, look away and then ricochet back with a “wtf”-esque expression on their faces. If you don’t mention it’s a Swatch, few will be the wiser.

Swatches are not meant to be too serious, square faced and overly technically. They were designed with the intent of being a fun, second substitute to whatever your real watch was. So consider these an introduction to the actual timepiece collection and not the collection itself.

All of these are available at Swatch’s Online Store, except maybe the Cold Blooded