Swatch Rolls Out Watch Bashing Trump’s Tariffs On Swiss Goods
Image via Swatch
Swatch is rechanneling economic frustration into design inspiration. The company has unveiled a limited-edition watch titled WHAT IF… TARIFFS?, a tongue-in-cheek jab at the 39% import duties recently imposed by President Donald Trump on Swiss goods in the United States.
Time is money, and the brand has conveyed this point by swapping the numbers three and nine on the dial, visually commenting on the levy’s impact.
Image via Swatch
This new watch is part of Swatch’s Bioceramic What If collection and comes in a square cream-colored case with a blue dial and matching strap. Priced at 139 Swiss francs (US$175), it is being sold only in Switzerland, meaning the very tariffs it critiques never touch the product.
Image via Swatch
With tariffs raised to 39%, Swatch has announced price increases of between 5% and 15% across its US portfolio to offset higher costs. CEO Nick Hayek Jr has said that while the company will absorb some of the hit through adjustments in transfer pricing and margins, American consumers are likely to feel the difference at the counter.
Swatch has billed the release as a “positive provocation,” a move intended to nudge the Swiss government into pushing harder for tariff reductions during trade talks with the US. Despite its limited distribution, the watch has seemingly sparked considerable demand. Stores in Zurich and Geneva have reported delivery delays of up to two weeks as buyers rush to secure the collectible.
Image via Swatch
[via HiConsumption, Hypebeast, Reuters, Fast Company, Benzinga, Esquire, images via Swatch]
