Modern era · Founded 1983
Swatch History
Swatch, launched in 1983, was a colorful plastic quartz watch built from just 51 parts. Led by Nicolas Hayek, it rescued the Swiss watch industry from the quartz crisis and became the Swatch Group, which now owns Omega, Breguet, Blancpain and Longines.
Key facts
| Launched | 1983 |
|---|---|
| Key people | Nicolas G. Hayek; engineers Ernst Thomke, Elmar Mock and Jacques Müller |
| Parts | 51, in a sealed plastic case |
| Name | Short for 'second watch' |
| Group brands | Omega, Breguet, Blancpain, Longines, Tissot and more |
The quartz crisis
By the late 1970s cheap quartz watches from Japan and Hong Kong were crushing the Swiss watch industry. Big Swiss firms were near bankruptcy, and banks brought in management consultant Nicolas Hayek to decide what to do with them.
A second watch
Engineers came up with a quartz watch with only 51 parts, compared with over 90 in a typical quartz watch, sealed in a plastic case that could be assembled by machine. It was cheap, accurate and could be made in any color. Marketed as a fun, fashionable "second watch" rather than a lifetime investment, the Swatch was a sensation; people collected them like art. The profits helped Hayek merge the old Swiss companies into what became the Swatch Group, now the largest watch company in the world, owning many of the historic brands on this page.
Read more: Who invented the watch? 50 inventions · the full story of the watchmakers
Questions people ask
What does Swatch stand for?
It's usually explained as short for 'second watch'.
Who owns Omega and Breguet?
The Swatch Group.
Sources
Last updated October 18, 2026. Found an error? Tell us.