Thirty years of plastic watches

March 1, 1983 is the day on which Swatch unveiled, in Zurich, the first 12 models of its plastic watches.
The idea did not seem particularly promising; indeed, in 1982, SMH (a Swiss company specialising in microelectronics) had unveiled, in the US, a prototype of a low-cost plastic watch, only to be told by its local distributor: "I'm sorry, I don't think this product will ever work". Instead, the Swatch (as it is still commonly known) was soon a huge success, thanks to its casual, fun appearance and affordable cost.
To celebrate the thirtieth birthday of this truly cult product, the brand has added a new model to its New Gent collection: Swatch Est. 1983 has a transparent plastic case and strap, visible mechanism with the word "Celebrate" on the cog, and all the years in the life of the product printed in a circle on the face.