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Swatch Shibuya 1989 Collectable Colourful Watch- GG104 - Z4336
Ref. GG104
Sits in Swatch’s upper tier here — more premium than three quarters of the Swatch watches we list, which start at £60.
Price range £60 to £350 across 28 Swatch watches in stock.Released in 1989 as part of the Gent line, the Shibuya is one of the more visually assertive pieces from a period when Swatch was treating the watch as a canvas as much as a timekeeping instrument. The translucent green case frames a graphic red dial, and the multicoloured resin strap carries printed Japanese kanji — a design clearly rooted in the energy of its namesake district rather than assembled for general appeal. The strap is where most of the collector interest concentrates. Vintage Swatch resin from the late 1980s becomes brittle with age, and the printed band on this reference accounts for the majority of what makes it worth owning — which means it is better preserved than worn. The sealed monobloc construction, standard for the Gent of this era, means the movement is not accessible for servicing, though the battery hatch at the rear remains functional. At 34mm and 8.75mm thick, the case itself wears with the lightness you would expect from resin, but on a piece like this, condition and completeness matter far more than how it sits on the wrist.
- Reference
- GG104
- Brand
- Swatch
- Collection
- Gent
- Case size
- 34mm
- Case thickness
- 8.75mm
- Case material
- Resin
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Red
- Crystal
- Acrylic
- Movement
- Quartz
- Water resistance
- 30m
- Bracelet / strap
- Rubber strap
- Clasp
- Buckle
- Lume
- Luminous
- Condition
- Vintage
- Retailer
- F.Hinds
Additional specifications
- Origin
- Swiss made
Learn more about Swatch
Swatch was the Swiss industry's answer to its own near-death. By the early 1980s Japanese quartz had reduced Swiss watch exports catastrophically and employment had collapsed. Nicolas Hayek, brought in as a consultant to advise on liquidating the ASUAG and SSIH conglomerates, recommended the opposite: merge them and attack the low end.
The engineering that made it possible was radical. Ernst Thomke, Elmar Mock, and Jacques Müller designed a watch with fifty-one components instead of the usual ninety-odd, with the movement assembled directly into the injection-moulded case so the watch could not be opened or repaired. It could be made in Switzerland, by robots, for less than the Asian competition.
The first Swatches went on sale in 1983. They were cheap, plastic, colourful, and — critically — sold as fashion rather than as timekeeping. Buyers owned several. Artists including Keith Haring, Kiki Picasso, and later Vivienne Westwood designed editions, and some early models now trade for thousands.
Swatch sold over a hundred million watches within its first decade and financed the rescue of the entire Swiss industry. The Swatch Group that resulted owns Breguet, Blancpain, Omega, Longines, Tissot, Hamilton, and Glashütte Original, and remains the largest watch company in the world.
The MoonSwatch collaboration with Omega in 2022 caused queues around the world.
- 1983
- The first Swatch launches with a 51-component movement.
- 1985
- Keith Haring designs the first artist editions.
- 1992
- Cumulative sales pass 100 million watches.
- 2022
- The MoonSwatch collaboration with Omega sells out globally.
Also in 4 collections
This watch appears in the Swatch Gent range (11), Back in Stock (4,868), Watches Under 37mm (1,713) and Pre-Owned, Ex-Display & Vintage Watches (369).
Manufacturer’s guarantee
What the specifications mean
Strengths
- 34mm wears small and slips under any cuff
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
- One of Swatch's more premium watches
Worth knowing
- 30m means keeping it away from water
- Acrylic crystal marks easily, though it polishes out
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
No. At 30m it will survive rain and handwashing, but not submersion of any kind.
Water resistance explainedWill the glass scratch?
Yes, but it polishes out. Acrylic marks easily and a scratch can be buffed away at home, which is why vintage-style watches still use it.
Sapphire, mineral and acrylic comparedDoes it need a battery?
Yes. It is quartz, so expect a battery change every two to three years at a jeweller.
Quartz, automatic and solar comparedIs it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as unisex, and at this size it suits any wrist that takes the dimensions.
Cheapest place to buy
F.Hinds is the only UK retailer we track stocking this reference, so there is nothing to compare it against today.
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