If you want to unglue yourself from your smartphone (#screentimedetox) but still want to be on time, a good old wristwatch is always an option. Or actually how about a cutting-edge new wristwatch? Time to make a trip to Ku’damm where Swatch has opened a new shop featuring funky, poppy tape art from Tape That. Poppiness is exactly what the brand has been known and loved for since it was founded in 1983. At the time, combining Swiss precision with vibrant styles was novel, and it’s a concept that still works today. The Flik Flak model for children has become a classic amongst school kids. As for the grown-ups, the often witty and surprising styles make for good conversation starters. If the Frida Kahlo Swatch is a little funky for business meetings, the “Originals” collection offers normcore style par excellence and has long held cult status, while “Skin” models are a minimalist’s dream. Despite this heritage, the brand is very much in the 21st century: some models even offer contactless payments. But in some ways the traditional features are best: a watch that lets you keep an eye on the time for your bus to the lake (and which will accompany you when you jump in the water) and which lets you record meeting minutes accurately. If you want to try out the watches in real life, the shop is the ideal place to do so. It has an interior that is filled with tape art and neon. TikTokable? We think so.
Text: Alison Much / Photos: Philipp Kuelker
Swatch Store Berlin, Tauentzienstr.17, 10789 Berlin–Charlottenburg; map
Mon–Sat 10–19h
