Swatch wraps up their 2023 Art Journey with new Jean-Michel Basquiat triptych

Zach Blass

The Swatch x Jean-Michel Basquiat collection marks the final collaboration of the Art Journey project
Previous collaborations were with MoMA, Magritte, Louvre Abu Dhabi, and Le Gallerie Degli Uffizi
The triptych includes three quartz-driven pieces inspired by Basquiat’s ‘Ishtar’, ‘Untitled’, and ‘Hollywood Africans’ artworks

Swatch as a brand, not the conglomerate group, is widely credited as a driving force in introducing people to the world of watches and watchmaking in an incredibly fun manner. While by no means hand-finished high horology, through their intriguing collaborations the brand has realised highly sought-after designs that not only speak to fully-fledged watch collectors, but also the broader mainstream audience as well. Just look at their groundbreaking MoonSwatch collaboration with Omega that caused a worldwide frenzy of unprecedented queues and interest in analogue timepieces. But their pop culture collaborations have also proven fruitful for the brand as well. One such segment is their Art Journey 2023 project, a series of collaborations that is culminating with a final triptych of Swatch x Jean-Michel Basquiat watches.

Earlier this year, Swatch began their 2023 Art Journey by teaming up with world-renowned museums across the globe. Working with the MoMA, Magritte, Louvre Abu Dhabi, and Le Gallerie Degli Uffizi institutions, artworks from Roy Lichtenstein, René Magritte, Katsushika Hokusai, and Sandro Botticelli – each of whom are celebrated artists with vastly different styles and perspectives.

This final Swatch x Jean-Michel Basquait collection, however, is the first of this 2023 series where Swatch has worked with an estate rather than a Museum. Jeanine Heriveaux of the Basquiat Estate explains: “We love Swatch and are so excited to see this thoughtful curation of artworks translate into such fun and vibrant watch designs. This is one of those classic collaborations which really hits the mark for us.”

For those unfamiliar with Jean-Michel Basquiat, the American artist was born in 1960 and rose to prominence in the late ’70s as a fixture of the Neo-expressionism movement. Unfortunately, Basquiat passed away in 1988 at the very early age of 27 due to a heroin overdose. But, the interest in his work continues to grow to this day – his famed artwork Untitled became one of the most expensive paintings ever purchased in 2017 upon its sale for over US$110m.

Swatch explains: “Basquiat works are edgy and raw, and through a bold sense of colour and composition, he maintains a fine balance between seemingly contradictory forces such as control and spontaneity, menace and wit, urban imagery and primitivism. The Basquiat brand embodies the values and aspirations of young, international urban culture. Basquiat often incorporated words into his paintings. Before his career as a painter began, he produced punk-inspired postcards for sale on the street, and become known for the political–poetical graffiti under the name of SAMO.”

The three artworks Swatch has horologically-translated into this new triptych collection are Basquait’s Ishtar, Untitled and Hollywood Africans. Each of the quartz-driven pieces are encased in splash-resistant plastic cases with silicone rubber straps.

“The 1983 artwork is named after Ishtar, the Mesopotamian goddess of fertility and war, and the combination of writing and Roman numerals on the painting take center stage on the black dial. The strap features different elements of the artwork, combining historical references to power with depictions of faces common to Basquiat’s work.” – Swatch

“The artist used to ‘sign’ his artworks in different ways. On this model’s dial is the artist’s famous three-pointed crown motif in bold black lines that stand out on the original 1982 artwork, perfectly framed by the black case, strap underside and loop. The final finishing touch is Jean-Michel Basquiat’s signature on the bottom strap.” – Swatch

“This watch channels Basquiat’s original 1983 artwork that addresses the multiple stereotypes involving African Americans in the entertainment industry, as well as American society at large. The dial of the vivid yellow watch features the painting’s trio of figures which depicts the artist with the rap musician Rammellzee and the painter Toxic, who had travelled with him from New York. And as in all of Basquiat’s artworks, text, images and abstract signs are combined to generate a multiplied energy.” – Swatch

The three watches within the Swatch x Jean-Michel Basquait collection can be purchased individually, or as a triptych set. The watches, if purchased as a set, rather than individually, feature subtle differences from the main capsule collection. Not only is the triptych set presented in special packaging, but the watches also feature distinctly shaded central seconds hands and two belt-loops bearing both the artist’s name and signature crown rather than one. A small difference, but watch collecting is a game of millimetres and these subtle switch-ups will ultimately make triptych set more collectable.

For more information, you can head directly to the Swatch website here.