Have you ever rocked a Swatch? Oh c’mon, everyone has. I have. Twice in my life. The first one I wore in the mid ’80s when I was twelve, and it looked like this, except the band on mine turned green (kinda gross, right?):

Swatch, Dotted Swiss, circa 1985

My second Swatch I bought in 2000. They had become pretty unfashionable at that point, but I didn’t care. I dug this one for its cuff-bracelet shape, its brick red color, and the Swiss Flag on its face:

Swatch, Typical Square, circa 2000

Fast forward to the present. My idea of a third-generation Swatch (Swatch 3.0, if you will) is the Nixon Time Teller P.* I initially bought one in hot pink and loved it so much that I bought another in tangerine orange:

Nixon Time Teller P, in Rubino and Orange, circa 2010

Now let me giddily describe their practicality: at $60 each, they won’t break the bank; they add a perfect punch of color to everything; they’re made of plastic (i.e. durable and not so precious); and they’re water-resistant up to 100 meters (just in case I’m, you know, snorkeling in Bora Bora next year). They also make me happy beyond belief. All that, and they tell time too!

*A few important footnotes:

• I want to make it absolutely(!) clear that I never wear both watches at the same time on the same arm. That ’80s fad was so atrocious.
• swatchandbeyond is a great website for all things Swatch, if you want to get your nostalgia on.
• Bonus random thought: these Nixons remind me of Laffy Taffy and would look right at home at Dylan’s Candy Bar.