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Swatch Crazy Eight 1993 Collectable Colourful Watch- GN125 - Z4335
Ref. GN125
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 £170 across 30 Swatch watches in stock.Released in 1993 as part of the Gent line, the GN125 is a document of what Swatch was doing at its most confident — neon green hands cutting across geometric numerals, a translucent blue resin case, the whole thing built around a pop-art energy that the decade made its own. The proprietary integrated lug system means the original strap stays on, which matters here: the abstract numbering pattern running along the plastic strap is part of the design, not an accessory to it, and a replacement would not fit without modification anyway. That same strap is now three decades old, and the polymer does become brittle with age — this is a piece to keep rather than to wear, the movement ticking behind an acrylic crystal that cannot be unclipped for service if anything internal fails, only the battery hatch accessible by coin from the back. What you are acquiring is an artefact of a particular moment in Swiss watchmaking, one that spent those thirty years unworn.
- Reference
- GN125
- Brand
- Swatch
- Collection
- Originals
- Case size
- 34mm
- Case thickness
- 8.75mm
- Lug width
- 17mm
- Case material
- Resin
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Blue
- Crystal
- Acrylic
- Movement
- Quartz
- Water resistance
- 30m
- Bracelet / strap
- Silicone strap
- Strap colour
- Blue
- Clasp
- Buckle
- Lume
- Luminous
- Condition
- Vintage
- Retailer
- F.Hinds
Additional specifications
- Lug-to-lug
- 39.2mm
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 5 collections
This watch appears in the Swatch Originals range (14), Back in Stock (4,361), Watches Under 37mm (1,536), Blue Dial Watches (814) and Pre-Owned, Ex-Display & Vintage Watches (310).
Manufacturer’s guarantee
What the specifications mean
Strengths
- 34mm wears small and slips under any cuff
- 39.2mm lug-to-lug keeps the 34mm case wearable
- 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 comparedWhat size strap does it take?
17mm. Any strap of that width will fit, and on most modern watches quick-release bars make the swap a two-minute job with no tools.
Will it fit my wrist?
Lug-to-lug is 39.2mm, which suits wrists from roughly 15cm (6 inches) upward.
Lug-to-lug decides fit more than case diameter does.
How to size a watch to your wristIs 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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