In celebration of the 125th anniversary of artist René Magritte’s birth, Swatch has produced this special series of watches.
Magritte, who is an artist represented in MoMA’s collection, is known for his Surrealist paintings that utilize dreamlike, evocative symbols. Details from two of this most famous artworks have been reproduced on two different styles of Swatch watches.
One style features the smoking pipe of La Trahison des Images (The Treachery of Images) (1929). Magritte loved wordplay, and this painting is one of the most famous examples. “Ceci est une Swatch” and the artwork’s original inscription “Ceci n’est pas une pipe” is detailed on the strap. The watch is made from biosourced glass, silicone and plastic. It has a 41mm case and the strap measures 10l x 0.75”w.
The other style is adorned with a detail from one of the artist’s legendary self-portraits, Le Fils de L’Homme (The Son of Man) (1964), which depicts the face of its bowler-hatted subject obscured by a hovering green apple—a quintessential Magritte symbol. “Ceci est une Swatch avec une pomme” is written on the watch’s strap—a playful reference to Magritte’s famous quotation “Ceci n’est pas une pipe.” The watch is made from plastic and silicone. It has a 41mm case and the strap measures 9l x 0.63”w.
Le Fils de l’homme (1964), oil on canvas, 116 x 89 cm (Collection privée)
© Succession René Magritte - SABAM, Belgium, 2023 / BKW Editions
La Trahison des images (1929), oil on canvas, 60 x 81 cm (Los Angeles County Museum of Art - Inv. 78.7.)
© Succession René Magritte - SABAM, Belgium, 2023 / BKW Editions
