What if Swatch’s story had started differently? That simple yet daring idea is the foundation of the WHAT IF? collection, launched to imagine a parallel reality where the very first Swatch had been square rather than round. In 2026, this creative reflection takes on a new dimension with WHAT IF…JELLY ?, a series of five watches that revisits the brand’s emblematic codes through transparency, bright colours and bio-sourced materials. A collection that celebrates both Swatch’s heritage and its ability to never stop surprising.
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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, turning it from a simple timekeeping instrument into a true object of design and personal expression. With its colours, artistic collaborations and 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 presented 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 alternate reality in which design took a completely different path.
WHAT IF…JELLY ?, a new interpretation of transparency
With WHAT IF…JELLY ?, Swatch opens a new chapter in this creative adventure. Transparency becomes the common thread running through the entire collection here. The five new models pair translucent cases with perfectly matching straps, letting light pass through the watch and reinforcing that sense of lightness that has always characterised the world of Swatch. This aesthetic immediately recalls the spirit of the famous Jelly watches that marked the late 1980s and quickly became cult objects for an entire generation.
But far from limiting itself to a simple nostalgic exercise, Swatch modernises this concept by incorporating bio-sourced materials, illustrating the brand’s evolution toward more responsible solutions without giving up its identity. The result combines freshness, modernity and a good dose of daring.
The square becomes a true 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 world, also completely renews how the dial is perceived. Bright colours take on a particularly strong graphic dimension here. Contrasting hands accentuate this sense 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 immediately identifiable as a Swatch. This ability to play with shapes and colours has remained one of the brand’s great strengths for more than forty years.
An unabashed tribute to the 1980s
Among the five new releases, one reference in particular catches the attention of the brand’s enthusiasts. The black model directly revisits the codes of the legendary Jelly Fish, one of Swatch’s most emblematic creations from the late 1980s. This reinterpretation never falls into a simple style exercise. It retains the avant-garde spirit of its illustrious predecessor while benefiting from the technical and aesthetic advances developed by the brand 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 in this collection concerns the materials used. Swatch continues here to integrate bio-sourced components into its collections, an approach it has pursued for 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 fully characterises WHAT IF…JELLY ?. This evolution demonstrates 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 held a singular place in the Swiss watchmaking landscape. Where other manufacturers highlight tradition or mechanical complications, the Biel/Bienne-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 spark a smile, awaken curiosity and remind us that a watch can above all be an object of design, colour and emotion.
By imagining an alternate past in which the first Swatch had been square, the Swiss brand ultimately keeps looking toward 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 spring from a simple question. What if…? Available since 2 July 2026 in Swatch stores and on the brand’s online shop, the WHAT IF…JELLY ? collection once again confirms that imagination remains one of the most powerful driving forces in contemporary watchmaking.
Frequently asked questions
It is a 2026 series of five watches from Swatch’s WHAT IF? line, which imagines an alternate reality where the very first Swatch had been square rather than round. JELLY ? revisits the brand’s codes through transparency, bright colours and bio-sourced materials.
The translucent cases and matching straps nod to the cult Jelly watches of the late 1980s, letting light pass through the watch for a signature sense of lightness. It is a tribute to that heritage, brought up to date rather than a simple nostalgia exercise.
Measuring 33 x 33 millimetres, the square case is unusual for Swatch and completely renews how the dial is perceived. Bright colours gain graphic strength, contrasting hands add dynamism and the transparent surfaces create shifting plays of light on the wrist.
Yes, the black reference directly revisits the codes of the legendary Jelly Fish, one of Swatch’s most emblematic creations from the late 1980s, keeping its avant-garde spirit while benefiting from the brand’s recent technical and aesthetic advances.
They continue Swatch’s multi-year integration of bio-sourced materials to gradually reduce its environmental footprint, without ever limiting creativity or altering the brand’s DNA. The collection launched on 2 July 2026 in Swatch stores and online.
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