748 - Five Swatch wristwatches, in original packaging, with Rotella Marilyn special edition, 1990s

Five Swatch wristwatches, in original packaging, with Rotella Marilyn special edition, 1990s Plastic, quartz movements, 1990s. Group of five Swatch wristwatches, all in original packaging and unused: 1) Swatch 'Ravenna', reference GR107 (blister label 'RAWENNA'), red case with colourful mosaic decoration to dial and strap, 1990 collection, in original blister with price label of DM 65. 2) Swatch 'Glance', black case with black-and-white decoration of portrait, script and engraving motifs, Roman numerals, in original blister. 3) Swatch 'Mark', reference GM106, dial after a 10 Deutschmark banknote of the Federal Republic of Germany with sailing ship motif, guilloché ground and large numeral 10, smoke-grey case, strap with banknote decoration, in original blister with price label of DM 65. 4) Swatch Olympic special edition with black-and-white photographic decoration: dial with runner motif, the strap with photo strips of athletes of various disciplines (including weightlifting, fencing, cycling, archery, high jump), in gift box with foam inlay and accompanying magnifier, the inner lid marked 'OFFICIAL TIMEKEEPER AND PARTNER OF THE 1996 OLYMPIC GAMES'. 5) Swatch 'Rotella' special edition: original sealed book box with Marilyn Monroe décollage motif after Mimmo Rotella – the watch not visible in the unopened packaging. From 1983 Swatch turned the plastic quartz watch into a collector's item and regularly cooperated with visual artists for its specials. As official timekeeper of the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, Swatch issued several special editions, among them the photographic-decor watch of this group with sports motifs. The Italian Mimmo Rotella (1918–2006), famous for his décollages of torn posters, designed the sealed artist's edition with the Marilyn motif. The 'Ravenna' from the 1990 Mosaiques collection quotes the Byzantine mosaics of its namesake city, while the 'Mark' translates a banknote of the Deutschmark era into watch format.