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Swatch The Lake 1994 Collectable The Great Wave Watch- GN138 - Z4323
Ref. GN138
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Released in 1994 as part of a run of Swatch designs drawing on Japanese visual culture, The Lake translates the drama of woodblock printmaking onto a rubber strap — waves, boats and Mount Fuji rendered in deep blue, anchored by a mirrored gold dial carrying kanji at the cardinal positions in place of numerals. The pairing is deliberate and coherent: the strap is not an accessory to the dial but a continuation of it. At 34mm and 8.75mm thick, it sits flat and light on the wrist in the way only a resin Swatch can. The gold hands are thin and unlumed, so the dial does the work of legibility — the mirror finish catches whatever light is available and throws it back clearly. Worth knowing before wearing: original resin straps from this period lose their plasticiser with age and become brittle; any surviving example should be treated as fragile, and fitting a modern replacement strap requires a pin-pusher tool for the proprietary hooded lug system.
- Reference
- GN138
- Brand
- Swatch
- Collection
- Originals Gent
- Case size
- 34mm
- Case thickness
- 8.75mm
- Case material
- Resin
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Gold
- Crystal
- Acrylic
- Movement
- Quartz
- Water resistance
- 30m
- Bracelet / strap
- Rubber strap
- Strap colour
- Blue
- 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 5 collections
This watch appears in the Swatch Originals Gent range (12), Back in Stock (4,868), Watches Under 37mm (1,713), Watches Under £100 (661) and Pre-Owned, Ex-Display & Vintage Watches (369).
Temporarily out of stock
F.Hinds is not currently taking orders for this reference. Last listed as available on 13 November 2026. Stock is checked nightly and this page updates when it returns.
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
Swatch The Lake 1994 Collectable alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | GN138 | A168WG-9EF |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £80 | £60 |
| Case size | 34mm | 36.3mm |
| Water resistance | 30m | 30m |
| Movement | Quartz | Quartz |
| Strap | Rubber strap | Stainless steel bracelet |
| This watch |
|
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.
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