Woulda coulda shoulda.

What if the 1983 Swatch had been square?

Back in 2021, Swatch launched its inaugural BIOCERAMIC collection, made from a composite material consisting of two products – castor seeds, and ceramic. The ratios are two-thirds ceramic and one-third of the bioplastic produced using castor oil, with pigment for colouring. The composite material meant the benefits of ceramic in terms of lightness, scratch resistance and toughness, but soft to the touch because of the bioplastic.

Now, Swatch has released its new BIOCERAMIC WHAT IF? collection, featuring four models in square cases. The ‘WHAT IF?’ refers to the discussion, in the early 1980s, as to whether to put the new Swatch brand’s watches in square or round cases. There were prototypes made of both options (see above).

All of the four new quartz Swatch Bioceramic WHAT IF? watches feature the same basic specs – a 33mm x 33mm case made of Bioceramic material, including the crown and buckle, an integrated ‘biosourced’ strap, edge-to-edge mineral glass across their dial side of the case.

All the new watches have a retro battery cover which features a dial from one of the first 1983 prototypes in a tribute to the 40th anniversary of the original GENT watch (yes GENT).

The case is available in green, gray, black or beige. The dials are white or blue, with Roman or Arabic numerals, or indices. There is a day-date window at 3 o’clock and the hands are luminous.

The Swatch BIOCERAMIC WHAT IF? Collection launches today (Switzerland’s national day) with an Australian RRP of $165 and is available in-store and online.

[Photo credit: Swatch]

Categories: Swatch, Watch materials, Watch Profile, watches, Women's watches