Tap the image to enlarge
Swatch Blue Jet 1990 Collectable Grey Strap Watch- GS701 - Z4349
Ref. GS701
Sits in Swatch’s upper tier here — more premium than three quarters of the Swatch watches we list, which start at £70.
Price range £70 to £170 across 16 Swatch watches in stock.The Blue Jet belongs to the late-1980s run of Swatch Originals that treated the plastic case not as a limitation but as a canvas — the saturated blue resin here is a colour decision, not a compromise. The dial is equally deliberate: black, geometric, and arranged so that the nine sits as the visual anchor rather than the twelve, which gives the face an off-axis tension that reads as intentional design rather than eccentricity. At 34mm the case sits flat and light in a way that only resin can manage, and the integrated ribbed strap flows directly from the case lugs without a seam, which was Swatch's characteristic move for this generation. New-old-stock pieces like this one retain the original strap, though three-plus decades of storage will have left the rubber less supple than it once was, and handling it carefully is the sensible approach.
- Reference
- GS701
- Brand
- Swatch
- Case size
- 34mm
- Case thickness
- 8.75mm
- Lug width
- 16mm
- Case material
- Resin
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Black
- Crystal
- Acrylic
- Movement
- Quartz
- Functions
- Day-date
- Bracelet / strap
- Rubber strap
- Strap colour
- Black
- Clasp
- Buckle
- Lume
- Luminous
- Condition
- Vintage
- Retailer
- F.Hinds
Additional specifications
- Lug-to-lug
- 39.2mm
- 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.
Manufacturer’s guarantee
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Will 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.
Does it need a battery?
Yes. It is quartz, so expect a battery change every two to three years at a jeweller.
What size strap does it take?
16mm. 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.
Is 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.
Who are F.Hinds?
F.Hinds has been run by the same family since 1856 and is now in its fifth generation, with more than 115 shops across England and Wales. They are a member of the Responsible Jewellery Council and an Authorised Diamond Dealer.
You may also like
In stock, and close on style and price
