London – Swatch is moving “beyond timepieces” after signing a five-year
partnership agreement with Italian eyewear manufacturer and developer
Safilo.
The deal will see Safilo and Swatch co-designing the “creative, playful
and lifestyle oriented” eyewear collections in line with the timepiece
company’s DNA, and the debut ‘Swatch The Eyes’ collection will launch in
spring 2016 and will be supported by the “I always want more looks”
advertising campaign.
In addition, Safilo will develop and manufacturer the eyewear pieces in
its European production network.
The Swatch The Eyes range will be distributed through Swatch’s global
retail network and initially in Safilo’s US retail chain, Solstice,
followed by a selection of North American eyewear retailers, with a plan to
expand Safilo’s distribution to further regions across the world.
Commenting on Swatch’s diversification, Nick Hayek, president of Swatch,
said: “Recreating a success story in eyewear via the reinterpretation of
the category is an exciting challenge.
“Swatch is globally recognised as a lifestyle brand, expressive and
meaningful in the way it captures trends and emotions: beyond timepieces,
eyewear also belongs to those product categories that customers enjoy
because they merge fun, style and quality.”
Safilo CEO Luisa Delgado added: “This partnership represents a further
milestone in our 2020 strategic plan. We are adding an iconic brand to our
portfolio, complementing our presence in the vast and fast growing Mass
Cool consumer segment with a unique proposition that leverages the smart,
playful, innovative DNA of Swatch.”
Image: Swatch