As long as I can remember, I've always dared to dream, I've always dared to believe in something more than I know and I've always loved to indulge in my penchant for storytelling; saying that, the new SWATCH collection has those very themes built into it...
Photography: Ayesha Ahmad
'Es war Einmal' in German means 'Once upon a time' ; somehow Swatch have tapped into something that we all have... A longing for escape and a melancholy nostalgia and brought that to the public through colourful time pieces that will be loved by the young and small and the young and tall alike...
The thing about Swatch watches is that they have a timeless quality and thrive with their simplicity. While the watches in the current collections deviate slightly from the simplicity that make Swatches iconic, they have also brought the proverbial punch to the party. The carefully old school designs are smartly built around the watches, instead of into the watches, keeping the uniformity of each individual piece. In some of the pieces, the inner workings are visible through the smiles and the backs of the watches; adding another layer of design to the watches.
One especially smiley Cheshire Cat alongside Twiddle Dee and Tweedle Dum (both €70 from the Grafton Street store) created the looks in the shoot below and the aspect of time and the thoughts of stepping out of it, freezing it and speeding it up inspired these shots taken by Ayesha.
A moment in time
One of my favourite watches from the collection is the cheeky smiling cat inspired by the Cheshire Cat from the Alice in Wonderland universe. It is incredibly cheeky and guaranteed to put a grin on your face every time you check the time; it is also a genuine conversation starter! My favourite thing about it is the gears visible through the cheeky smile as they turn and determine the time.
Shades of time
Slow time
Twiddle Dum and Twiddle Dee are two of the most lovable characters in the Alice in Wonderland universe and they make an appearance in the collection in one of the cutest watches you could find. The watch has black and white stripes coming towards and through the face of the watch, with mirrors the rotund shape of the characters and is twinned on both sides of the face, giving the impression that both characters exist on the surface of the timepieces. The hints of red in the braces and buttons as well as the heart on the strap really complete the timepiece.
Time is endless
Reflections of time
Time is now
Caught in time
The old adage is true, the world will never tire of hearing stories... Even if those stories are ancient and old and that is because we can put a new spin on old stories and make them into something new and something exciting... Es War Einmal.
I am Timi