Three out of five Blancpain X Swatch Scuba Fifty watches nearly doubled their value at auction!

From my earliest memories in the watch industry, I’ve always trusted my gut when selecting watches. This intuition has served me well throughout my thirty-plus years in this field. The hype surrounding the Blancpain X Swatch Scuba Fifty upon its release was immense, but it quickly fizzled out for various reasons. The mainstream public had sky-high expectations, and the press was unforgiving in their critique. It’s hard to think of a more scrutinized $400 watch. Many seemed to anticipate a Blancpain Fifty Fathoms at this price point, which was unrealistic.

Despite the mixed reception, I sensed a unique allure in this timepiece. My journey in the watch world began with Swatch in 1991, giving me a deep understanding of style, design, collectibility, and value. To me, the Blancpain X Swatch Scuba Fifty was even more remarkable than the highly acclaimed Moon Swatch, a collaboration between Swatch and its sister brand Omega released a year earlier. That launch had a global impact, spawning a new wave of collectors and flippers. My top pics when I saw pics were Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean & Atlantic Ocean. I ended up purchasing Indian Ocean & Pacific Ocean and I am really impressed with the construction, details and wearability this watch has.

Last month, all variations of the Blancpain X Swatch Scuba Fifty were auctioned at Christie’s in Geneva, Switzerland. The auction, held from December 1-10, 2023, featured top brands like Rolex, Patek, AP, Vacheron, and others. Impressively, three of the five Scuba Fifty models – Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean, and Antarctic Ocean – fetched nearly double their $400 retail price, selling for 630 CHF (approximately $750 USD) each.

The other two models, Pacific Ocean and Arctic Ocean, also exceeded retail, bringing in 504 CHF (around $600 USD) each, 50% above retail. This success is remarkable, considering these are regular production, non-numbered watches still available for purchase at selected Swatch boutiques around the world.

Pics courtesy of Christie’s online