In collaboration with the renowned Tate Gallery, Swatch are celebrating a true journey through time, genre and self-expression. The Swatch x Tate Gallery Collection is a selection of wearable masterpieces, inspired by artists known for their boundary pushing, innovation and positive provocation. Swatch is also known for its long-standing love affair with art, bringing more art to more people, and giving wearers the time to express themselves through its unrivaled range of art-inspired watches. Tate is the perfect partner, known for its era- and genre-spanning collections and unique Tate Modern Lates program which invites everyone to be a part of the life of the museum.

By creating masterpieces for the wrist, Swatch is giving wearers the time to express themselves through their choice of watch – just as the artists expressed themselves through their works – to connect with others and start their own conversations.

‘We are thrilled to be partnering with Swatch and collaborating with a like-minded organisation to create a series of watches that bring Tate’s rich and diverse collection to an ever-wider audience’ – Hamish Anderson, CEO of Tate Enterprises

Fernand Léger belonged to the avant-garde movement in Paris in the early 20th century where he was associated with Cubism. He later became inspired by modern life, machinery and technology and developed a boldly simplistic style based on the separation between color and line: color is scattered across different parts of the canvas, separate to the drawing itself. LEGER’S TWO WOMEN HOLDING FLOWERS focuses on the bold and brilliant color, bringing it into full focus across the strap and dial. Three different colored hands bring additionalbrightness. 

In the vibrant colours of CHAGALL’S BLUE CIRCUS, the whimsy of the artist’s dream-like world comes alive. Known as an early modernist, Marc Chagall’s style combined many different influences. Fascinated by the colorful chaos of the circus, he described it as, ‘a magic show that appears and disappears like a world.’ The fascinating characters of the circus inspired Chagall’s art throughout his life. On the strap an acrobat balances on her trapeze in a moment of dream-like magic. A moon and an eye balanced on the watch hands bring her dynamic movement to life.

MIRO’S WOMEN AND BIRD IN THE MOONLIGHT offers us a glimpse into his symbolic visual language, evoking joy at every glance. This watch artfully spreads this iconic image across the dial and strap, with indexes on the glass to add depth. With a similar palette, BARNS-GRAHAM’S ORANGE AND RED ON PINK explores the joy of colour. Transformed onto the watch and strap, the rich colours and free-flowing brushwork are accented by striking black indexes on the glass.

Henri Matisse, a French visual artist, helped revolutionize art in the early 20th century. In particular, he had a significant impact on painting. He created Fauvism, an influential bold style of painting using vivid colors and loose brushwork. In a career spanning over 50 years, his later works, including inventive paper cut-outs, are especially popular. MATISSE’S SNAIL embraces the famous image on the dial, but also across the transparent strap.

Best known for her large-scale sculptures and installations, French-American artist Louise Bourgeois was also a skilled painter and printmaker who frequently used spirals in her works. For her, their outward movement symbolized ‘giving, and giving up control, trust and positive energy….’ BOURGEOIS’S SPIRALS are mesmeric, with relaxing tones of blue and white. The watch is also available in a SwatchPAY!-enabled version available in selected markets that makes secure payments a simple flick of the wrist.

TURNER’S SCARLET SUNSET provides a fitting conclusion to the Swatch x Tate Gallery Collection. JMW Turner is often described as ‘the father of modern art’ and is one of Britain’s greatest painters. His uniquebrushwork and use of color still surprise and delight today. His portrayals of the modern world were unlike any seen before. The artwork takes an iconic scene and focuses on light and color throughout the whole watch. On the dial, the creative use of the calendar wheel brings additional depth, with the sun changing color across a 14-day period until the cycle begins again.