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Swatch Cathedral 1994 Collectable Patterned Strap Watch- GN135 - Z4348
Ref. GN135
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Stepping up in Swatch's range
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The Cathedral takes its name from the dial, which lifts a stained-glass or coin-engraving quality into a 34mm resin case — intricate patterning across a green ground that reads quite differently under direct light than in shade. It is a 1994 Gent-family release, from the period when Swatch treated the dial as a canvas rather than a surface, and the integrated strap carries the same graphic language as the case rather than sitting apart from it. Thirty years on, unworn examples are uncommon, and the appeal here is as much about what the piece represents — a snapshot of mid-nineties Swatch at its most decorative — as about wearing it. The strap, as with most stored silicone of this age, may have lost some of its original flex, which is worth bearing in mind.
- Reference
- GN135
- Brand
- Swatch
- Case size
- 34mm
- Case material
- Resin
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Green
- Crystal
- Acrylic
- Movement
- Quartz
- Water resistance
- 30m
- Bracelet / strap
- Silicone strap
- Strap colour
- Green
- Clasp
- Buckle
- Lume
- Luminous
- Condition
- Vintage
- Retailer
- F.Hinds
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 Back in Stock (3,734), Watches Under 37mm (1,369), Watches Under £100 (439), Green Dial Watches (343) and Pre-Owned, Ex-Display & Vintage Watches (333).
Manufacturer’s guarantee
What the specifications mean
Strengths
- 34mm wears small and slips under any cuff
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
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 comparedCheapest 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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