How luxury watch brands are courting the masses with trendy collaborations

What do Blancpain, Hublot, Louis Erard and Omega have in common? Besides Swiss roots and horological heritage, they’re all embracing the once-taboo: Collaboration with more accessible, mass-market names. 

These partnerships, once seen as gimmicky or brand-diluting, are now strategically repositioning luxury labels into the wider pop-cultural consciousness – and they’re not only finding new fans, but also creating serious collector buzz along the way.

The high-low mashup trend began, as trends often do, in the fashion world. In 2004, Karl Lagerfeld teamed up with fast-fashion giant H&M to drop a designer collection at high-street prices. The fashion world let out a collective gasp – and then camped outside H&M stores to get their fix. Not long after, Balmain, Maison Margiela, Versace and many others followed suit.

Now, the watch industry is catching up. And while luxury watchmakers once partnered with retailers or other luxury watchmakers (in the 20th century), modern-day collabs with accessible brands offer something more potent: Cultural cachet, social media virality, and yes, long lines outside stores. 

Let’s rewind briefly.

The OG collaborations

Not long ago, co-branding wasn’t so much about hype as it was about distribution and practicality. For example, until it developed its own in-house capabilities, Hermès relied on Jaeger-LeCoultre for the elegant inner workings of its timepieces from 1928 through 1972.

In the US, Patek Philippe produced watches for Cartier New York from the late 1930s and then again from the 1940s to the 1970s, with select models double-signed. Heuer partnered with clothing retailer Abercrombie & Fitch from the late 1940s to the 1970s, producing watches that were designed with the outfitter’s customers in mind.

And of course, Rolex and Tiffany & Co. maintained a discreet yet highly coveted co-branding agreement that ran from the 1950s to the early 1990s, producing co-signed dials – particularly Daytonas and Submariners – that are now highly prized by collectors for their rarity and prestige.

But those were subtle affairs. Today’s watch collabs? They’re loud, proud, and drop-driven.

Swatch x Omega: The MoonSwatch Moment

The seismic shift came in 2022 with the Swatch x Omega MoonSwatch. By taking Omega’s Speedmaster Moonwatch – one of the most revered timepieces ever made – and reimagining it in colourful, bioceramic form under the Swatch umbrella, the brands triggered a global frenzy.

Affordable (in the range of S$300 to S$550), exclusive (in-store only, but not limited edition) and highly collectible (11 planetary editions, plus a new Mission to Earthphase – Moonshine Gold, released on 9 Aug), the Moonswatch rewrote the rulebook. Suddenly, everyone from students and sneakerheads to office ladies and ladies-who-lunch wanted a piece of Swiss watch heritage.

It was a masterclass in aspirational branding, letting a new generation be part of the myth, even if they weren’t ready for the full-blown Omega experience.

Swatch x Blancpain: Diving into playful waters

In 2023, Swatch did it again – this time with another fellow Swatch Group brand, Blancpain, one of the oldest names in Swiss watchmaking. Their lovechild? The Swatch x Blancpain Bioceramic Scuba Fifty Fathoms, a collection that’s just as playful, yet also more niche, than its Omega predecessor.

Based on Blancpain’s iconic dive watch, the Fifty Fathoms, each of the nine colourful models (including the latest edition, Green Abyss, launched in June 2025) honours a different ocean or marine phenomenon. With a whimsical nudibranch illustration on the movement and Swatch’s SISTEM51 mechanical calibre ticking within, the watches are paired with NATO straps.

Sure, some purists raised an eyebrow. But for Gen Z sea souls (or dive watch enthusiasts who already own an actual Fifty Fathoms), it was a fun, unexpected twist on tradition.

Hublot x UEFA: Sporty and spectacular

Moving beyond co-branded timepieces, some luxury watch brands are diving into full-blown cultural partnerships – immersing themselves in arenas far beyond boutique windows. Hublot, for example, was the Official Timekeeper of the UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 in Switzerland – although the brand’s relationship to soccer began in 2006 when it sponsored the Swiss national team.

Football stars Aitana Bonmati (Spain) and Ada Hegerberg (Norway), both Hublot ambassadors, sported the vibrant Big Bang One Click Joyful Steel watch, while match officials and coaches wore Big Bang e Gen3 connected watches and other models in the sidelines. Throughout the month-long tournament, Hublot’s bold visual identity was omnipresent on LED boards and giant screens across eight stadiums.

If ever you needed proof that prestige and mass appeal aren’t mutually exclusive, this collab – branding as an immersive experience – would be it.

Alain Silberstein: A cult designer with high-low magic

French designer Alain Silberstein has made a name out of defying traditional horological aesthetics. He’s known for his whimsical use of bold primary colours, geometric shapes and a playful design language inspired by the Bauhaus movement.

While his namesake brand ceased production in 2012, he’s since become the go-to collaborator for watchmakers seeking a creative jolt – the likes of which include Bell & Ross, MB&F, Ressence and Romain Jerome.

His latest collaboration is with MeisterSinger, the German brand known for its single-hand timepieces. The Kaenos Grand Date and Edition Kaenos Open Date (both limited to 225 pieces each) reimagine that minimalist concept with Silberstein’s signature whimsy – all sharp lines, vivid colours and joyful restraint. 

Silberstein’s most enduring partnership, though, is with Louis Erard, a collaboration that began in 2019 and has since become a cult favourite. From the regulator-style Le Régulateur to the emoji-dialled La Semaine, each release blends mechanical substance with visual irreverence. 

Later models like Le Régulateur Tourbillon and Le Chrono Monopoussoir raised the horological bar while keeping Silberstein’s distinctive touch. In 2024, to celebrate its 60th anniversary, watch retailer Watches of Switzerland unveiled Le Diptyque, a two-piece limited edition set comprising the Tourbillon and Semaine models in grey. 

In an age of social media virality and drop culture, the most successful watch collaborations are the ones that offer novelty without losing authenticity; serve strong storytelling that adds emotional value; and bridges communities, by welcoming new audiences without alienating long-time collectors. 

When all of these elements align, a collaboration doesn’t just create buzz. It can reenergise a legacy brand, expand its cultural footprint, and, in some cases, even reshape its identity for a new generation.