To mark the launch of their new BIG BOLD watch collaboration, Swatch and BAPE hosted a series of exclusive launch events in Tokyo last Friday that were more fun than a barrel of monkeys.
Launch locations in major Tokyo neighborhoods like Roppongi and Shibuya were each designed to represent a different city and commemorate one of five watch designs inspired by Tokyo, London, New York, Paris, and Bern. To cap things off and represent the globally-inspired colorway, Swatch and BAPE held an after-party at Tokyo's exclusive 1OAK nightclub with live music performances from Japanese artists Yuki, Kawanabe Hiroshi, and 5lack.
Food and drink typically associated with each city greeted guests on arrival before they were submerged in the city via installations, screenings, and performances. The London location, for example, featured a BAPE fine jewelry exhibit while Paris came alive with a Moulin Rouge-style performance. At the popular Tokyo-based pizza restaurant PIZZA SLICE 2 , infamous street artist and New Yorker Stash repped his home city with a wall art piece.
At the 1OAK after-party, both brands surprised guests by revealing a limited edition boxset featuring all six watches. While finer details are yet to be announced, it's believed that less than 100 of the boxsets will exist, making it a highly collectible grail item for anyone that gets their hands on one.
The Japan-inspired colorway dropped in Japan's Swatch and BAPE stores on Saturday with queues flowing down the streets. The global launch is set for June 15. In the meantime, don't sleep on Swatch's mainline BIG BOLD colorway's which are available now.
