Funny Business: A History of Satirical Timepieces

Most watch boosters will agree that wearing a timepiece is a form of self-expression. Sometimes the story is about projecting status. At other times, the conversation revolves around reflecting on the meaning of time, life, and everything. And then there’s using the watch as a medium to make a cheeky statement about the absurdity of it all.

Recently, both Swatch and Raymond Weil have released timepieces that take a jab at the current US-Switzerland tariff situation, and spoiler alert, they are not pro-tariff. We’re not talking about cartoonish timepieces with a crudely drawn picture of politicians printed on the dial (I mean, who is Spiro Agnew, and why is he on so many vintage watch dials? Am I right?). Nope.

Today, we’re talking about timekeepers that use the craft to poke fun at the business of horology itself.

Satire is a genre that uses humor to highlight the flaws and absurdities of people and society, often targeting politicians and social issues to provoke thought.

In the early 1970s, German architect, engineer, and artist Tian Harlan created a rotating sculpture that provided different colors to represent the hours. The piece was exhibited at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich and was meant to free people from the “Dictatorship of Exact Time.” Eventually, he started his own brand of wristwatches and clocks – Chromachron – using this statue as his inspiration.
 

The display is basically a black Pac-Man rotating over a dozen colorful wedges (think Trivial Pursuit player pieces). Because the Pac-Man rotates at a speed of “1tph,” or one triangle per hour, with training, you can sort of suss out when an hour has passed. But at best, one can only get an approximation of time. And that’s the point.

Everything about this cheeky watch – from the extra-wide suede and vinyl straps to the oversized cases – speaks to the counterculture of the era. Harlan also referred to it as “the anti-stress watch” and used a synesthetic approach to selecting colors that suggested the vibe for different times of the day.
 

In the book “Watch: History of the Modern Wrist Watch,” author Pieter Doensen writes that Harlan completed about 100 watch designs – both mechanical and quartz, encased in steel or transparent plastic. Moreover, according to Doensen, Max Bill, Charles Aznavour, and Ringo Starr all wore the color-time watch.

Despite Harlan’s profligacy, vintage versions of these curiosities are relatively rare. But his son has resurrected a modified version of the Chromachron under the Tian brand.

We could have written a whole article on H. Moser & Cie.’s swipes at the stodginess of Swiss watchmaking.

The highlight reel would include such cool concepts as the Swiss Alp Final Upgrade (a parody of the Apple Watch) from 2016 or the Swiss Mad Watch, a timepiece encased in real Swiss Cheese manufactured in protest against the lax regulations for earning the official “Swiss Made” label.
 

Even in its marketing, Moser likes to have fun. The brand has just released a mockumentary on YouTube called “The Manufacture,” which is a playful workplace comedy. But perhaps the brand’s greatest provocation was the Moser Swiss Icons watch.

By mashing up the bezel of a GMT Master II with Hublot and  Royal Oak case shape, a Nautilus dial pattern, a Panerai-esque crown guard (and sandwich dial construction and number font), the Cartier crown cabochon, blued Breguet hands, an IWC-style logo, and a tourbillon under a Girard-Perregaux-type golden bridge, this piece unique could be viewed as either a tribute or a mockery of the lack of originality from the big brands.
 

Apparently, those Maisons didn’t appreciate the homage(s), so Moser’s original plan to exhibit it at SIHH and then auction it off for charity was scrapped.

Like the Chromachron, Berry Late Again! watch from Mr. Jones is a watch that rejects the idea of being on time, but with a 21^st-century spin. After all, in the past 15 years, how many watch enthusiasts haven’t been asked: “Who needs a watch when you can just look at the time on your phone?”
 

British brand Mr. Jones is known for its artist-designed watches, and Berry Late Again!, designed by Ana Dias, provides a witty and somewhat provocative answer to this question: At first glance, this watch looks like soup of pastel clouds, fruity-colored, balloon letters, and strawberries, but once an hour, the elements align to form a message: “Fuck it! Time is just a social construct.”

The dissonance between the friendly images and the apathetic, bordering on aggressive message makes the visual irony even more powerful. Unlike the Chromachron, once you decode it, you can use it to time by checking the position of Ana’s signature strawberries: The whole strawberry marks the hour, and the half-eaten strawberry indicates the minutes.
 

Originally a limited edition called Berry Late!, Mr. Jones has tweaked the case a bit and added it to the permanent collection as the Berry Late Again!

that sentiment more than designer Romaric André, a.k.a. seconde/seconde/, who got his start customizing vintage watches with visual puns.

Called the “watch world’s answer to Banksy” by GQ, many of seconde/seconde/’s jokes are playful. A prime example is his “Fifty Phantoms” collaboration with Spinnaker, which references the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms but has a dial decorated by ghosts.
 

And although it’s not a watch, the Charles Simon x seconde/seconde/ Theo Watch Roll has a bit more bite. This premium leather watch roll by Canadian company Charles Simon is “inspired” by those unattainable timepieces you see in certain boutique showcases.

The case itself is no joke – it’s made of anodized aluminum wrapped in rich green young bull leather and lined in Alcantara. It’s a worthy home for any grail watch, should you ever reach the top of the wait list.
 

Even its tongue-in-cheek message, “FOR EXHIBITION MOSTLY,” is luxe, as it is embossed in gold on the outside of the case. According to André, “It’s not only that we are crazy about horology. It’s that we want to show a bit of social status.”

In August, the US government implemented a 39% tariff on Swiss watches. Of course, the industry took that personally. And in September, Swatch announced the What If…Tariffs? watch, which uses the brand’s square-shaped What If? model as its placard.
 

Swatch has cleverly inverted the Arabic numerals 3 and 9 on the dial subtly to reference the tariffs on Swiss goods. Swatch has committed to discontinuing the model as soon as trade relations improve, so for future watch history nerds, this model will undoubtedly serve as a reminder of these crazy times.

Currently, the watch is only available from Swatch boutiques in Switzerland.

Another take on the tariffs, Raymond Weil’s new Millesime Limited Edition 39% has turned a trade barrier into a design challenge. [Warning: If you are in the US, you won’t be able to access this watch’s product page.]

Yes, there’s a bit of Swiss patriotism behind this Millesime’s message. However, it’s also a comment on the global market as well. Culturally, we want to build bridges, not barriers. According to the brand’s press release, “Adversity doesn’t stop the hands of time – it inspires us to craft stories worth wearing.”
 

In this case, there’s a subtle reference point along the minute track – a red 39 to indicate that commerce is on an uncertain path. Even the size of the 39mm case is significant, as the Millesime collection has very few watches that are exactly 39mm.

A symbolic and exceptional, one-time gesture. Because while global markets may impose barriers, our roots and our strength remain firmly Swiss Made. Every era leaves its mark. For Raymond Weil, this moment is captured in the Millesime Limited Edition 39%.
 

Limited to just 39 pieces, the Millesime Automatic Limited Edition 39% Watch is being offered to collectors at a 39% discount (which is probably why it’s already sold out) and is scheduled to ship in mid-November 2025, despite the Maison’s hope that the tariffs will have decreased by then.