Swatch Troll Donald Trump's 39% Tariffs

Swatch, the Swiss watchmaker, are trolling the 39% tariffs that the United States placed on their home country by selling a watch that flips the location of the 3 and 9 numerals. 

The tongue-in-cheek new watch – dubbed “WHAT IF… TARIFFS?” – is inspired by the “current events unfolding in today’s world”, according to the description on their website. Swatch joke that the new watch is “hopefully just a limited edition”. 

The watch is available only in Switzerland and therefore won’t be subject to the 39% tariffs – among the highest imposed on a European country by US President Donald Trump. 

A Swatch spokesperson told CNN that the watch is a “positive provocation”, and the brand will stop selling the watch when a deal is reached between the United States and Switzerland. 

Demand is “so high that we are full steam ahead with production”, the company added. 

“We need to wake up our government, which seems to have forgotten about this issue”, Swatch said in a statement. 

Their needling is for good reason: The United States is the biggest customer of Swiss watches, with exports amounting to $5.4 billion in 2024, according to data from the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry.

Malaysian women’s doubles pair Pearly Tan-Thinaah Muralitharan’s hopes of defending their title went up in smoke after they were bundled out in the semi-finals of the 2025 Hong Kong Open Badminton Championships today.

The World Championships runners-up found China’s Jia Yi Fan-Zhang Shu Xian too hot to handle and went down 14-21, 11-21 in just 35 minutes.

Swatch And The Slanted Eye Ad

Swatch removed an ad in China that showed an Asian male model pulling the corners of his eyes following backlash online. 

The image was published as part of the Swatch Essentials collection campaign that ran on social media platforms in the country, including Weibo, which has over 580 million users. 

However, many commentators said the pose appeared to mimic the racist “slanted eye” gesture, historically used to mock Asian people. 

On Saturday (16 August), Swatch said it had “taken note of recent concerns regarding the portrayal of a model” and confirmed it had removed the images. 

“We sincerely apologize for any distress or misunderstanding this may have caused”, the brand said in a statement. It also posted the same apology on Instagram. 

Despite Swatch’s apology, some consumers are still calling for a boycott of its brands (which includes Omega, Longines, and Tissot). 

One Weibo user with more than 1 million followers accused the company of “racism against Chinese,” suggesting regulators should punish the brand. 

On Instagram, another critic wrote in a comment: “That wasn’t a mistake, it was a deliberate display of supremacy and dominance over others, embedded in your marketing”. 

I agree because it does seem intentional as the ad was targeted at the Chinese market. And it's not the first time either that Western brands are guilty of this type of racist advertising.

In April 2023, French luxury brand Dior faced a similar controversy after pulling the same stunt to promote Dior's new makeup collection. It showed an Asian model pulling up the corner of her eye with the caption "Channel your feline fierceness".

A Rainbow Swatch Can Mean a 3-year Jail Term

Malaysia on Thursday banned Swatch watches and accessories with LGBTQ+ references and made possessing them punishable by up to three years in prison, a fine of up to RM20,000 or both, if convicted. 

 

The government said the ban is in line with provisions under Section 7 of the Printing Presses and Publications Act – they maintained that normalizing the gay community may harm the nation. 

 

“The Malaysian government (are) committed to preventing the spread of elements that are harmful or may harm morality, public interest and the country… or national interest, by promoting, supporting, and normalizing the LGBTQ+ movement that is not accepted by the general public in Malaysia”, the ministry declared. 

 

They did not specify which Swatch watches they banned, but in May, they seized 172 timepieces from the 2023 Pride collection (re: “Swatch's Pride Watches Impounded” published May 23, 2023).

Swatch Sue Malaysian Government

Swiss watchmaker Swatch have filed a lawsuit against the Malaysian government for seizing timepieces from their LGBTQ-themed Pride collection, the company’s lawyer said Monday. 

 

The move comes after 172 watches were impounded in May by the home affairs ministry's law enforcement unit because they featured "LGBT elements". [Read my post “Swatch's Pride Watches Impounded” published May 23, 2023]. 

 

In Malaysia, homosexual activity is illegal under both secular and religious laws. 

 

Anyway, Swatch insisted in their June 24 lawsuit that the watches were "not in any way capable of causing any disruption to public order or morality or any violations of the law". Furthermore, they maintained the watches "did not promote any sexual activity, but merely a fun and joyous expression of peace and love". 

 

In their promotional campaign for the Pride-themed watches, Swatch describe them as "loud, proud, uplifting and bursting with meaning". And they refer to the six-stripe Pride flag as "a symbol of humanity that speaks for all genders and all races". 

 

Swatch are seeking compensation – including in the form of aggravated and exemplary damages – and the return of 172 watches worth RM64,795 ($14,200). 

 

The lawsuit names the home affairs ministry and the government of Malaysia as respondents. Home Affairs Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail has yet to comment publicly on the matter.

Swatch's Pride Watches Impounded

When I think of colors, I’m reminded of the Color revolutions that the US wages in countries around the world to subvert governments in order to reinforce its global control. 

 

Whether it is the "Rose Revolution" in Georgia in 2003, the "Orange Revolution" in Ukraine in 2004, the "Tulip Revolution" in Kyrgyzstan in 2005, or the "Arab Spring" in Asia and Africa in 2011. 

 

As well as rainbow colors which are especially flaunted during Pride Month in June. 

 

On May 13 and 14, Swatch stores in Malaysia were raided and watches from their Pride Collection were impounded. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In response to the seizure, Swatch Group chief executive officer Nick Hayek Jr said the brand has consistently produced colorful timepieces to represent diversity and celebrate people from all walks of life. 

 

“Swatch is proud of being the canvas on the wrist for all people worldwide and many artists working with us. Creativity and colors paired with Swiss-made quality is what we are loved for. We strongly contest that our collection of watches using rainbow colors and having a message of peace and love could be harmful for whomever. 

 

On the contrary, Swatch always promotes a positive message of joy in life. This is nothing political. We wonder how the Bahagian Penguatkuasa Dan Kawalan, Kementerian Dalam Negeri will confiscate the many beautiful natural rainbows that are showing up thousand times a year in the sky of Malaysia”, continued Hayek. 

 

Surely, they acknowledge the said timepieces are Pride-themed. And in Malaysia, they should know better than to show support for the LGBTQIA+ community by promoting the said watches sporting rainbow colors. 

 

Swatch Group plan to make an appeal for the confiscated watches to be returned.