A new service of only one original watches in the world to be ready in about 20 minutes
[Interview] Ms. Reiko Izumi, Brand Director of Swatch Division
Store-printing an original watch for providing it each customer on the spot
The Swatch Group Ltd., a long-established Swiss watch manufacturer since 1983, opened its flagship store “Swatch Store Harajuku” in June 2021. I was looking for something new in order to open the store in Harajuku, which is a place transmitting cultures centering on fashions and arts. Meanwhile, the head office in Switzerland proposed us the idea of permanently installing a printer in our store, so I was interested and tried it.
Swatch Store Harajuku is providing a service called “swatch x you” (x is pronounced as “by”) to create original watches. This service uses Mimaki’s “UJF-6042MkII” to print wristwatches.
Because a printer usually plays its role behind the scenes, it is seldom displayed outstandingly like the one in our store, but our store is intentionally displaying it at the front so that our customers can watch it and enjoy the printing technique and process.
It takes about 20 minutes to complete printing, and customers can enjoy the processes ranging from making an order until the printing is completed, which I think is the key point. Because customers are unfamiliar with a UV printer itself in their daily lives, they are often surprised to see it actually at our store.
Digital printing meets to immediate response (of creation) for a design changing by project by project
On November 18, 2021, “swatch x Peanuts” featuring Snoopy started.
We are expecting customers interested in character collaboration like this will visit our store and order their original watches.
Besides character collaboration, we are also envisaging collaboration with famous artists. Immediate adaptation to a design that changes project by project is one of the appealing points of digital printing. (as of November 2021)
Custom-made watches :Offering the opportunity to enjoy an alternative watch
I hope people who usually wear a watch of a luxury brand will wear our “swatch” as their second watch for casual occasions. I think that a service for providing original watches unavailable elsewhere in the world in an affordable price range is scarce, so please visit our store in Harajuku and create your original watch using the “swatch x you.”
Swatch Store Harajuku
The flagship store of the long-established Swiss watch maker established in 1983; The store moved from Ginza to Harajuku in June 2021.
One of its goals is to become a store where customers can find something new every time they visit Harajuku, which is a place transmitting cultures centering on fashions and arts.
<Introduced products>
Flatbed UV Inkjet Printer: UJF-6042MkII
User profile
- NameSwatch Store Harajuku
- IndustryWristwatch sale
- Address5-9-15 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- Phone number+81-3-6626-2157
- URLhttps://www.swatch.com/ja-jp/home