Swatch: A Guide for Connoisseurs and Collectors [Paperback]

Frank Edwards (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 1998

In SWATCH Frank Edwards documents the origins and developments of Swatch designs, and shows some of the very best made since 1983. The core of this book is a gallery of hundreds of the most beautiful designs.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

After the Beanie Baby mania, it will not surprise anyone to learn that fashion timepieces--Swatches, specifically--are now considered collector's items. Rather than just listing prices of Swatch watches, horologist Edwards presents a true catalog, which includes a brief history of Switzerland's watch industry pre-Swatch (when Japanese electronic ticktocks were devouring the market share), production and design, advertising and marketing, and information strictly for aficionados (yes, there is a Swatch club). The real surprises in the book, however, lie in the full-color directory of artists participating in watch design (Keith Haring, Yoko Ono, and Vasarely) and in the never-ending stream of other Swatch products (telephones, eyeglasses, even a car). Barbara Jacobs

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Firefly Books (November 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1552091198
• ISBN-13: 978-1552091197
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #722,895 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Thoughts on this book, April 18, 2000

By 

Mark Duncan (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Swatch: A Guide for Connoisseurs and Collectors (Paperback)

Somewhat disappointed, not a guide for the collector. Covers very little in terms of particular Swatches. Only lists a handful of Swatches from each category, not the exhaustive list the tittle leads you to believe. On the other hand, if you are obsessed with the most interesting watch ever produced, then you should have this book. Just don't expect to use it for looking up unknown Swatches. If anyone knows of a good book that lists all Swatches made please let me know [e-mail] .

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars One Swatch book is not enough, February 27, 2010

By 

Edward Graves (Chesapeake, Virginia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Swatch, a Guide for Connoisseurs and Collectors (Hardcover)

I have the 1998 version of this book, I have Swatch Yourself book from 1991 and Bonello's Swatch-Collector 2000 book. I will give a brief overview of them in comparison.

Swatch: A guide for.... covers the years 1982 to 1996.

Pros: 19 pages of info about the evolution of the creation of the Swatch watch.
Pictures are of good quality.

Cons: Too few pictures. Some pictures that are in the texts margins are not identified.


Swatch Yourself: Covers years 1983 to 1991.

Pros: Many Swatch watches pictured, great pictures with index in back.
Very large book.

Cons: No nuts and bolts info about the history of the swatch or identifing
model features.


Bonello's Swatch-Collector: Covers the years 1983 to 1999.

Pros: Has the most listed and pictured swatces of all 3 books.
Index included.
Nuts and bolts about what the watch codes mean.

Cons: picture quality not as good as the other two books.
No historical info.

Having more than one swatch book is a must

2.0 out of 5 stars deceptively titled... look elsewhere., February 17, 2010

By 

keeyop (Gso, N. Cakalak) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Swatch: A Guide for Connoisseurs and Collectors (Paperback)

I'll keep it short; The book is hardly a "guide". It's a poorly written, unnecessarily opinionated overview of Swatches...

That said, it does feature some interesting historical and production sections. The author glosses over various models, with nice photos and layouts. Unfortunately, worthwhile text in the book is overshadowed by tiresome blathering, as if readers need pictures described to them... Don't pay too much, or read too much, lest you regret it.