Swatch WHAT IF…JELLY ? When the square watch takes on transparency and a resolutely pop spirit

What if Swatch’s story had begun differently? This is the idea — as simple as it is bold — behind the WHAT IF? collection, launched to imagine a parallel reality in which the very first Swatch would not have been round, but square. In 2026, this creative reflection takes on a new dimension with WHAT IF…JELLY ?, a series of five watches that revisit the brand’s iconic codes through transparency, bright colours and bio-sourced materials. A collection that celebrates Swatch’s heritage as much as its ability to never stop surprising.

When Swatch rewrites its own history

Few brands can afford to revisit their own legend with as much freedom as Swatch.

Since its launch in 1983, the Swiss manufacturer has profoundly transformed the image of the watch, taking it from a simple time-measuring instrument to a true object of design and personal expression. With its colours, its artistic collaborations and its countless special editions, Swatch has always cultivated a creative spirit all its own.

The WHAT IF? collection pushes this philosophy even further.

Its starting point rests on a simple question: what would Swatch have become if the first model unveiled in 1983 had adopted a square case rather than a round one?

This fictional scenario gives rise to a collection that does not seek to rewrite history, but to explore an alternative reality in which design would have taken an entirely different path.

WHAT IF…JELLY ?, a new interpretation of transparency

With WHAT IF…JELLY ?, Swatch opens a new chapter in this creative adventure.

Here, transparency becomes the common thread running through the entire collection.

The five new models pair translucent cases with perfectly matched straps, letting light pass through the watch and reinforcing that sense of lightness that has always defined the Swatch universe.

This aesthetic immediately calls to mind the spirit of the famous Jelly watches that marked the end of the 1980s and quickly became cult objects for an entire generation.

But far from limiting itself to a mere nostalgic exercise, Swatch modernises the concept by incorporating bio-sourced materials, thereby illustrating the brand’s move toward more responsible solutions without giving up its identity.

The result combines freshness, modernity and a healthy dose of boldness.

The square becomes a genuine playground

The square case is naturally the central element of this collection.

With its dimensions of 33 x 33 millimetres, it strikes a particularly successful balance between wrist presence and comfort.

This geometry, unusual in the Swatch universe, also completely renews the way the dial is perceived.

Here, the bright colours take on a particularly strong graphic dimension. The contrasting hands accentuate this impression of dynamism, while the transparent surfaces create plays of light that shift with the movements of the wrist.

Each model thus asserts its own personality while remaining instantly recognisable as a Swatch.

This ability to play with shapes and colours remains one of the brand’s great strengths after more than forty years.

An unabashed tribute to the 1980s

Among the five new models, one reference particularly draws the attention of the brand’s enthusiasts.

The black model directly revisits the codes of the legendary Jelly Fish, one of Swatch’s most iconic creations from the late 1980s.

This reinterpretation never lapses into a mere exercise in style. It preserves the avant-garde spirit of its illustrious predecessor while benefiting from the technical and aesthetic developments the brand has made in recent years.

This nod to the past is a reminder of how often Swatch has managed to anticipate trends rather than follow them.

Many of its historic creations still continue to influence contemporary watch design today.

Bio-sourced materials in the service of creativity

The other major evolution of this collection concerns the materials used.

Here, Swatch continues to integrate bio-sourced components into its collections, an effort undertaken over several years in order to gradually reduce the environmental footprint of its production.

The appeal of this approach lies in its discretion.

At no point do these materials limit creativity or alter the brand’s DNA. On the contrary, they make it possible to preserve the richness of the colours, the transparency of the cases and that visual lightness that so fully characterises WHAT IF…JELLY ?.

This development shows that technical innovation and creative freedom can now move in the same direction.

A collection that cultivates the Swatch spirit

For more than four decades, Swatch has occupied a singular place in the Swiss watchmaking landscape.

Where other manufacturers put tradition or mechanical complication front and centre, the Biel-based brand champions above all creativity, spontaneity and the pleasure of wearing a different kind of watch.

The WHAT IF…JELLY ? collection perfectly illustrates this philosophy.

It seeks neither to impress with a technical demonstration nor to seduce with ostentatious luxury. Its ambition lies elsewhere: to bring a smile, to spark curiosity and to remind us that a watch can be, above all, an object of design, colour and emotion.

By imagining an alternative past in which the first Swatch would have been square, the Swiss brand ultimately keeps looking to the future. This new collection shows that it is still possible to surprise with an object as familiar as a watch.

Because at Swatch, the best ideas often arise from a very simple question. What if…?

Available since 2 July 2026 in Swatch stores and on the brand’s online shop, the WHAT IF…JELLY ? collection confirms once again that imagination remains one of the most powerful driving forces of contemporary watchmaking.

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