Look Who's Wearing Swatch Now!

EXCERPTS from a recent article I wrote for the Manila Bulletin:

Originally intended to re-capture the entry level market share lost by Swiss manufacturers during the aggressive growth of Japanese watches like Seiko and Citizen during the 1960s and 1970s, Swatch also managed to revive the popularity of analog watches at a time when digital timepieces were all the rage. Over the years, Swatch's bold new styling and increasingly quirky designs that continues to appeal to its largely young market has more than sustained what was initially regarded as a short shelf life for the brand.

In launching its latest Fall/Winter 2009 Collection that includes its new Chrono Plastic and Artist Collections, Swatch has recently enlisted sought after multi-awarded young actor John Lloyd Cruz as its newest image endorser.

Describing his fashion sense as both “adventurous and trendy,” John Lloyd says “he appreciates the marriage of art and fashion" that he sees in most Swatch watches. The actor also admits that New York is one of his favorite cities and that's why he loves the same vibrant, fast-paced and constantly evolving character in Swatch.

His current favorite Swatch right now is the SUIM401 Follow The Track model from the Chrono Plastic Collection that features a tranparent dark grey plastic case with solid light blue pushers holding a solid black bezel with a light blue minute ring and light blue Arabic numerals. The solid matte black plastic strap recalls equipment carried by explorers working the edge of adventure.

Aside from black, the watches in the Chrono Plastic collection for men also comes in plastic bracelets of other vibrant colors including orange, yellow, blue and white. Other noteworthy chronograph watches in the Fall/Winter 2009 line includes the striking Two Sided model that comes in yellow and black, the Guide Me, the Ice Border and Mental Flame which all comes in varying leather straps and the equally attention-grabbing ThreeSixty Ride from the Artist Collection from the Artist Collection.

Swatch Chrono Plastic TV commercial: