EditorsNov 06, 2026
The Spectrum Pieces I Can’t Stop Thinking AboutFrom a Betta fish brooch to a “dragon’s trove” of zircon eggs, here are seven pieces that’ve stuck with Associate Editor Lauren McLemore.
AuctionsFeb 07, 2016
Swatch watches ‘superlot’ could sell for $1M
Exclusive prototypes, limited and special edition watches, and artwork relating to the brand’s designs are all part of the huge lot of Swatch stuff Sotheby’s is offering this April.
Hong Kong--Exclusive prototypes, limited and special edition watches, and artwork relating to Swatch designs all are part of the Swatch “superlot” Sotheby’s is offering at its sale of Important Watches this April.
The superlot is expected to bring in more than $1.3 million, Sotheby’s told National Jeweler.
“Collecting both the Swatch and the artworks is like having an intriguing marriage that works perfectly well, affording people the luxury of admiring art objects on their wrists,” Dunkel said. “What I enjoy the most about Swatch is that everybody can relate to it; regardless of age, origin, color, culture, job and taste, most of us have had a Swatch in our lives.”
Dunkel’s collection is exciting, Sotheby’s said, as it includes pieces from the Swatch Art Special. As Swatch began to merge quartz movement with synthetic materials and a playful styles in the early 1980s, the late Nicolas Hayek initiated a collaboration between the brand and famous or up-and-coming artists.
The collaboration turned Swatch watches into actual art, and thus was the Swatch Art Special, which features wristwatches with artwork from Keith Haring, Mark Kostabi and Sam Francis, among others.
“One would be absolutely amazed by the amount of artistic and creative energy that can be worn on the wrist,” said Sharon Chan, head of watches for Sotheby’s Asia. “Each watch in this collection translates into a chapter of contemporary art, or even an attitude and an approach to life.”
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