Alessandro Matri – Swatch ‘Chronograph Neo Wave’

Italian former footballer Alessandro Matri is wearing a 37mm Swatch’ Chronograph Neo Wave’ with a plastic case and strap from 1991, featuring a chronograph dial with quartz movement.

Matri, who played as a striker and made his debut in 2003 for AC Milan, spent his whole career for different clubs in Serie A and never left the county for a career abroad.

About the Watch

Ernst Thomke, the former CEO of ETA SA, founded Swatch in the early 1980s. Elmar Mock and Jacques Müller established the company with a small group of engineers. Thomke also employed Franz Sprecher, a marketing expert, to help with the project.

The project is a plastic watch with a stylish appearance. Swatch’s original goal was to reclaim the customer base that Swiss manufacturers had lost during the quartz catastrophe. They hoped to reclaim market share from Japanese businesses like Seiko and Citizen, which had risen rapidly throughout the 1960s and 1970s.

They also wanted to reintroduce the conventional timepiece at a time when digital watches were becoming increasingly popular. After the brand’s success, Nicolas G. Hayek, a Lebanese entrepreneur and a team of Swiss businessmen, purchased Swatch’s controlling stake in 1985. The newly consolidated group was named SMH (or Societe Suisse de Microelectronique et d’Horologerie).

In 1986, Hayek was appointed chairman of the board of directors and CEO, and the business was renamed Swatch Group as we know it today. This was an excellent match for the firm, integrating marketing and manufacturing capabilities to reintroduce Switzerland as a significant player in the watch industry.

For the watch casing, Swatch developed and utilized novel synthetic materials, as well as a unique ultrasonic welding method and assembling expertise. This is a product that has never ceased evolving and growing in order to better its brand. Furthermore, it is still among the most famous and well-known brands worldwide.

The Swatch ‘Chronograph Neo Wave’ is part of Swatch’s first Chrono series, which was sold in the 1990s. This chronograph’s bright design is typical of Swatch. The clock has a stop function, is waterproof, and has a Gaggenau Quarzwerk with a battery.

The timepiece’s armband is only suitable for wearing in certain circumstances. It is more vulnerable as a result of age and is more likely to break. As a result, this offer is primarily aimed at Swatch Sammler. If you prefer to wear the watch, you can gladly exchange the armband for one that is more suited to your needs.

Today, Swatch’ Chronograph Neo Wave’ does more than tell (precise) time. They’ve evolved into fashion styles and collectible pieces with some of the world’s most vivid designs, a timepiece for any event, and an accessory that can go with every outfit. There is a Swatch for everyone, and anybody can wear a Swatch brand ranging from bright multi-colored plastic to beautiful metal.

Swatch continues to attract thousands of new clients throughout the world. This is despite the fact that everyone has a smartphone with some type of timekeeping software. On the other hand, there’s no doubting that the original, modest Swatch pulled the old Swiss manufacturing industry into the twenty-first century.

Price market: $558
Watch reference: SCJ100

Photo: Alessandro Matri