you know, where you wear two or more Swatch watches on one arm.

I'd say from 1987 onwards. I'd never heard of a Swatch prior to '87.

They were first introduced in 1983.

I had only one Swatch, myself.

Here in NY, they were popular in 1984 through about 1987.  By 1988, though, you wouldn't be caught dead with one!

Definitely mid '80s. 

I remember the Thompson Twins did a Swatch commercial for their 1985 tour.

The multiple Swatch campaign was a good idea for selling cheap watches, but it didn't really catch on.

Yeah mid, I wore them in High school 82-86.

When I was 16 in the late 80's I got a Swatch.  I only wore one at a time but I always wore it with the face on the bottom side of the wrist.  Older people always were asking me whats up with that, I just said its cool like that.  I was a lifeguard at a waterpark and I remember a few other kids I worked with wearing theirs like that too. I had a few Swatches that I switched off with, but I only wore one at a time.  I remember in 1989 for my high school graduation my 8 year old niece got me a Swatch for a gift, I felt bad since it was the exact same one that I was wearing at that time, I ended up giving that one to my girlfriend, so we wore matching Swatches, and she wore hers with the face on the bottom part of the wrist just like me. 

When I was 16 in the late 80's I got a Swatch.  I only wore one at a time but I always wore it with the face on the bottom side of the wrist.  Older people always were asking me whats up with that, I just said its cool like that.  I was a lifeguard at a waterpark and I remember a few other kids I worked with wearing theirs like that too. I had a few Swatches that I switched off with, but I only wore one at a time.  I remember in 1989 for my high school graduation my 8 year old niece got me a Swatch for a gift, I felt bad since it was the exact same one that I was wearing at that time, I ended up giving that one to my girlfriend, so we wore matching Swatches, and she wore hers with the face on the bottom part of the wrist just like me. 


Wow, interseting I came across this!  When I was a teen (early 90's) I also worked as a water park lifeguard (in the Wisconsin Dells, the waterpark capitol of the world) and I wore my Swatch that way too! (only one at a time though).  Being a lifeguard was cool, wearing only my lifeguard bottoms, sunglasses, and my Swatch (worn buckle side up), and  having girls following me, saving a life, and helping out all the patrons was all very fun.  As I remember wearing a Swatch buckle side up was a statement of extreme coolness, and lifeguards were all ultra-cool which explains why we wore a Swatch that way.  Anyone else remember wearing Swatches like that?  I guess it was cool for a few years. 

Wow, interseting I came across this!  When I was a teen (early 90's) I also worked as a water park lifeguard (in the Wisconsin Dells, the waterpark capitol of the world) and I wore my Swatch that way too! (only one at a time though).  Being a lifeguard was cool, wearing only my lifeguard bottoms, sunglasses, and my Swatch (worn buckle side up), and  having girls following me, saving a life, and helping out all the patrons was all very fun.  As I remember wearing a Swatch buckle side up was a statement of extreme coolness, and lifeguards were all ultra-cool which explains why we wore a Swatch that way.   Anyone else remember wearing Swatches like that?  I guess it was cool for a few years. 


A follow up to this post I made.
I just visited some family last weekend and one of my cousins wears his watch buckle on top.  When I was 16 through 20 in the early 90's I always wore my Swatch buckle side on top, and my cousins who were under 10 back then thought I was the coolest and did everything to be like me.  Last weekend I asked my cousin (who is in his early 20's now) why he wears his watch like that and he said because he started doing back then when I did it and did it ever since, he said I even gave him a Swatch for a Christmas present back then.

I remember Swatch watches from 1986 - 1988 I think. I don't remember them before then (mind you, I was very young in 1986, lol).

I watched a 4th Season episode of Punky Brewster from 1988 last night and she wore 2 Swatches on one wrist.

See 3mins22

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyPh6zdy1I0

I was a teacher in the mid 80's and I remember the 2 swatch on a wrist trend then.  As far as wearing a watch with the buckle side on top, in the mid 90's when my nephews were 16 or 17 they both wore their watch with the buckle side on top.  It was a regular watch with a leather band, it wasn't a Swatch, but they wore it buckle on top.  They said it was cool like that, they both always wore their hats backwards too.  We always teased them about that but they just said they like to wear things backwards, backwards was cool, and they were the "cool type"      

What if the Croatia was the country that made the watches.  Then the company would be called Crotch. 

Crotch: Takes a licking, keeps on... *


*Credit to Steve Charney or whatever that radio clown from WAMC used to call himself!

wears his watch buckle on top


Hey, I'm 17 and I always wear my watch that way.   It's just part of my image, I like to wear my hat to the side and my watch buckle on top.  I wore a watch with a brown leather band, but my girlfriend's dad gave me an old Swatch, now I wear the Swatch most of the time.    Either one I always wear it buckle on top.

-Tyler  

I had one, bought it in 1988, many of my friends already had one.  I don't think I heard of swatches prior to 1986.

I was a teacher in the mid 80's and I remember the 2 swatch on a wrist trend then.  As far as wearing a watch with the buckle side on top, in the mid 90's when my nephews were 16 or 17 they both wore their watch with the buckle side on top.  It was a regular watch with a leather band, it wasn't a Swatch, but they wore it buckle on top.  They said it was cool like that, they both always wore their hats backwards too.  We always teased them about that but they just said they like to wear things backwards, backwards was cool, and they were the "cool type"      


I haven't really worn a watch since the 90s, but when I did, it was always buckle out.  It was much easier to read and had the added benefit of being more comfortable -- when the watch face is on top of the wrist, it really hurts if you bend your wrist backwards (leaning against a table, for example), because the winder gets embedded in the back of your hand.

Swatches were all the rage in 1986, 1987, and 1988 in Philly.  I had one when I was a preteen in the late 80s.

Swatches were big here. I remember when I was really little my cousins used to wear piles of them and I had them in ring form.

My cousins even had one of those huge tacky watch-wall clocks in thier bedroom. It was red and white.

Those were the days. Fashion has goen to hell since then.

It was around 1991 that I gave a Swatch to my nephew who was 16 for a Christmas gift.  He really liked it, he said it was the coolest gift he got.  Right away he put it on with the buckle side on the top of his wrist.  Every time I seen him for the following few years or so he was wearing it buckle on top (and he always thanked me for the Swatch).  I don't know if he was wearing it like that because it felt better but knowing him (he was this ultra-cool preppy type) I imagine he wore it like that for a fashion reason.

Do they even sell Swatches these days or do you have to buy them on Ebay or Amazon?  ???

Do they even sell Swatches these days or do you have to buy them on Ebay or Amazon?  ???


Swatches are surprisingly still huge! They're a major high street brand... http://www.swatch.com/ I know a few well placed Swatch stores in some classy malls.

Swatches are surprisingly still huge! They're a major high street brand... http://www.swatch.com/ I know a few well placed Swatch stores in some classy malls.


And I always thought swatch watches were a thing of the past.

I'm not a watch wearing person because I prefer bracelets and usually have my cell with me, but if I could wear a pile of candy colored ones int he summer without being looked at like I was lunatic, I would.

It was around 1991 that I gave a Swatch to my nephew who was 16 for a Christmas gift.  He really liked it, he said it was the coolest gift he got.  Right away he put it on with the buckle side on the top of his wrist.  Every time I seen him for the following few years or so he was wearing it buckle on top (and he always thanked me for the Swatch).  I don't know if he was wearing it like that because it felt better but knowing him (he was this ultra-cool preppy type) I imagine he wore it like that for a fashion reason.


I seen my nephew on Sunday and I asked him about that.  I thought kids may wear a digital watch with the buckle on top so the face is not as visible since it wasn't cool but wearing a Swatch that way seemed odd since a Swatch was cool.  He said he just liked to wear it that way to be different, and he said lots of other kids wore their Swatch that way, it was just the way to wear a Swatch.  He said that they usually just did that just with a Swatch, when they wore another brand of watch they wore it the regular way (that seemed odd), but he said when he went to another brand watch he still did the buckle on top thing. 

It was around 1991 that I gave a Swatch to my nephew who was 16 for a Christmas gift.  He really liked it, he said it was the coolest gift he got.  Right away he put it on with the buckle side on the top of his wrist.  Every time I seen him for the following few years or so he was wearing it buckle on top (and he always thanked me for the Swatch).  I don't know if he was wearing it like that because it felt better but knowing him (he was this ultra-cool preppy type) I imagine he wore it like that for a fashion reason.


Yea whats up with that?  I was looking at family pictures from the early 90's and one of my relatives who was 16 or 17 then, in each picture was wearing a Swatch and he was wearing it with the buckle on the top of his wrist. 

Wow, interseting I came across this!  When I was a teen (early 90's) I also worked as a water park lifeguard (in the Wisconsin Dells, the waterpark capitol of the world) and I wore my Swatch that way too! (only one at a time though).  Being a lifeguard was cool, wearing only my lifeguard bottoms, sunglasses, and my Swatch (worn buckle side up), and  having girls following me, saving a life, and helping out all the patrons was all very fun.  As I remember wearing a Swatch buckle side up was a statement of extreme coolness, and lifeguards were all ultra-cool which explains why we wore a Swatch that way.   Anyone else remember wearing Swatches like that?  I guess it was cool for a few years. 


I am from Wisconsin and we go to Noah's Ark every year. What waterpark did you work at?

I only wore one watch on my arm, now I do not.

When I was 14 I went on a cruise with my aunt and uncle, while on the ship I visited one of the shops and bought myself a Swatch.  When I got home everyone one thought it was silly and cheap,  a plastic watch!!!  A few months later EVERYONE was wearing them.  I just wore one but usually a man's watch because I liked the bigger face. 

Last year I got a Swatch from my sister for my birthday.  This one was not plastic rather stainless steel.

I wore these damn things up one leg and down the other.  They caused so many blood blisters from pinching me.  I hated those damn things.

I graduated college in the '85, I seem to remember some younger kids wearing multiple Swatches around then, Swatch probably advertised that to sell more.  I seem to remember some kids wearing watches buckle side up in the early 90's.  I had relatives that did that too.  We spent a lot of time with a 17 year old nephew in the mid 90's and he always wore his Swatch buckle side up, and yes, he always wore his hat backwards too.

I graduated college in the '85, I seem to remember some younger kids wearing multiple Swatches around then, Swatch probably advertised that to sell more.  I seem to remember some kids wearing watches buckle side up in the early 90's.  I had relatives that did that too.  We spent a lot of time with a 17 year old nephew in the mid 90's and he always wore his Swatch buckle side up, and yes, he always wore his hat backwards too.
Was a generation thing?

I don't think people wear Swatches anymore. ???

I don't think people wear Swatches anymore. ???
I think you are right there.

i think it was like, a 1986-91 thing. just a guess?

I don't think people wear Swatches anymore. ???
Too expensive now?

Too expensive now?


Their stores do tend to be on the upper end of the high street, but I'm sure they're not extortionate.

http://www.ttrworldtour.com/fileadmin/media/season_0708/news/swatch%20store%201.jpg

Too expensive now?


I guess so. ???

Their stores do tend to be on the upper end of the high street, but I'm sure they're not extortionate.

http://www.ttrworldtour.com/fileadmin/media/season_0708/news/swatch%20store%201.jpg


Where are they located? ???

Their stores do tend to be on the upper end of the high street, but I'm sure they're not extortionate.

http://www.ttrworldtour.com/fileadmin/media/season_0708/news/swatch%20store%201.jpg
New York?

New York?


must be Manhattan near Times Square.

must be Manhattan near Times Square.
You know the shop?

You know the shop?


I think I've seen it before.

I think I've seen it before.
Is it still there?

I think I've seen it before.
Is it on Google Earth?

Is it on Google Earth?


Yes,It should be.

Yes,It should be.
But, what is the address of the Swatch shop?

But, what is the address of the Swatch shop?


1528 Broadway, New York - (212) 764-5541

1528 Broadway, New York - (212) 764-5541


Many thanks!

Many thanks!


You're Welcome. :)

http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm66/Phil_O-Sopher/Swatch.jpg

As seen on the current Google Earth, the image must have been taken in the last few years.

http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm66/Phil_O-Sopher/Swatch.jpg

As seen on the current Google Earth, the image must have been taken in the last few years.


It is most colorful.

It is most colorful.
Is New York a colourful place?

Is New York a colourful place?


Yes It Is.

Their stores do tend to be on the upper end of the high street, but I'm sure they're not extortionate.

http://www.ttrworldtour.com/fileadmin/media/season_0708/news/swatch%20store%201.jpg



We bought my son a watch from that store!

Was a generation thing?



I actually remember older people wearing watches with the face on the bottom of their wrists.  I believe that was a military thing, possibly to make it easier to see the time or so there are less reflections.

As far as teenagers wearing their Swatches like that I think that was just a teen fad at the time.  The teens that I knew that wore theirs that way were the types that like to wear things backwards, or wearing a Swatch like that was the cool thing at that time.  I think kids did that for a few years until it became un-cool and then they went back to wearing them the regular way.  Most people I see wearing their watch that way now are people in their 70's or even older.

Around 1991 I worked for a lumber company and there were a few teenagers that worked there that wore their Swatch watch with the buckle on the top of the wrist.  I figured it was more comfortable to wear it like that when lifting stuff all day, one day I asked one if its really more comfortable that way and he said that's not why he wears it like that, he said it looks cool like that but he did say it was more comfortable too.  Then another kid said he started wearing it like that when he seen that kid doing that but said it was actually less comfortable.  My kids were teens then and they wore Swatches but I never remember them wearing them buckle on top.