Swatch gorlizki

Swatch Art Special reveals Sliding Doors

Abstract artist Alexander Gorlizki is the latest to be invited to contribute a watch design to the Swatch Art Special Collection.

British-born Gorlizki is described by Swatch as a ‘virtuoso creator of intricate miniatures and visionary abstraction’ and spreads his time between New York and Jaipur.

Working across fields including photography, sculpture and video, Gorlizki has created the Sliding Doors Swatch which features a number of colourful motifs contrasting across the dial, case and strap.

Gorlizki took his inspiration from the Jali, the classical Indian architectural form of ornamental screen carving, typically done in wood, stone, and marble. Gorlizki’s geometric patterns create an intricate puzzle enriched with mesmerizing detail and a modern, vibrant palette. The interlocking designs cover every surface of the front, with engraving on the timepiece and even along its edges, buckle and loop.

The Swatch Art Specials have become extremely collectable over the years, not just because of the watches but also their unique, bespoke packaging also designed by the artist.

Gorlizki has created a box with ‘a montage of illustriously decorated geometric structures’ that slides open to reveal the watch inside.

The artist commented: “Collaborating with Swatch presented an irresistible challenge to create a highly contemporary, wearable design that still utilizes handmade skills and traditional forms.”

The Swatch Art Special collection has been going strong for 30 years, originally launching with iconic pop and street art designs in the mid-1980s.

Over the decades Swatch has collaborated with painters, musicians, designers and film directors to decorate what has become known as ‘the world’s smallest canvas’.

The Swatch Art Special Sliding Doors is limited to 4,567 pieces and individually numbered and will retail for £63.50 when it goes on sale on September 12.

James Buttery

Editor of WatchPro, the WatchPro Hot 100 and The Luxury Report.

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