Mickey Mouse is one of the most-loved creations of our time, publicly having made its debut in the short film Steamboat Willie in 1928 in one of the first cartoons with sound.
Disney is celebrating its flagship figure’s big birthday in a number of ways including an interactive exhibition in New York City and a free art exhibition in London. Naturally, a cascade of licensed products is hitting the shelves in honor of the birthday (Vans shoes, Pandora jewelry, Pepperidge Farms Goldfish, etc.) – with one of these being a quite unexpected limited edition of Swatch watches designed by none other than modern art icon Damien Hirst.
Two limited, numbered editions have been created, one of which goes on sale tomorrow, November 16, 2018, in all Swatch stores. Limited to 19,999 pieces, the Mirror Spot Mickey watch (€110) features a mirrored dial, plastic case, quartz movement, and yellow-and-red strap design in typical “Mickey colors.” Hirst’s signature is found on the inside of the strap.
The second edition, called Spot Mickey (€165), is limited to just 1,999 pieces and will be sold online at Swatch.com for only 24 hours on November 18, 2018 – which is Mickey’s actual day of birth. The design is not terribly different from Mirror Spot Mickey, just a little soberer in the strap and case design. The signature of one of the most important artists of our generation is likewise found on the inside of the strap.
Naturally, Swatch collectors (and perhaps collectors of Hirst’s art) will see the differences in these two editions as very large – particularly when it comes to the number of pieces in them. And most likely they will never be worn.
Elizabeth Doerr is the editor-in-chief of Quill & Pad, an online publication that keeps a watch on time.
