Swatch sells watch named "WHAT IF...TARIFFS?"

ZURICH: Swiss watchmaker Swatch has begun selling a special edition watch with the numbers three and nine reversed on its face in a play on the 39% tariffs President Donald Trump imposed on U.S. imports from Switzerland last month.

The tariffs – among the highest set by Trump worldwide – were met with shock and dismay in Switzerland, a leading producer of high-end watches and other luxury goods.

Costing 139 Swiss francs ($175), the watch named “WHAT IF…TARIFFS?” went on sale on Wednesday and is only available in Switzerland, a company spokesperson said on Friday.

The spokesperson said the watch was made with a knowing “wink” and sent a wake-up call to the Swiss government, which so far has not managed to secure a reduction of the tariffs.

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It aims to be a short-lived product, Swatch said.

“Because as soon as the U.S. changes its tariffs for Switzerland, we will immediately stop selling this watch,” the spokesperson said, declining to say how many watches had so far been sold but calling the model “a huge success.”

The Swatch website said delivery of the beige and blue watch could be delayed by one to two weeks due to what it called “very high demand”. It is also available at nearly a dozen Swatch stores, including those at the airports of Zurich and Geneva.

The government of Switzerland has been seeking to negotiate lower tariffs with the Trump administration ever since the levies were announced.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick struck a fairly upbeat tone on the talks on Thursday, telling CNBC that his government would “probably get a deal done with Switzerland.”

($1 = 0.7964 Swiss francs)