Latest News Safilo and Swatch Sign Five-Year Agreement By Staff Wednesday, February 10, 2016 12:21 AM PADUA, Italy/BIEL, Switzerland—Safilo [SFL.IM] and Swatch Ltd. have signed a collaboration agreement for Swatch branded eyewear. Safilo and Swatch will co-design the eyewear collections with Safilo handling the development and manufacturing in its European production network, the companies said. “This partnership represents a further milestone in our 2020 strategic plan,” said Luisa Delgado, Safilo CEO. “We are adding an iconic brand to our portfolio, complementing our presence in the vast and fast growing Mass Cool consumer segment with a unique proposition that leverages the smart, playful, innovative DNA of Swatch. We also reconfirm our commitment to European eyewear manufacturing now also for the Mass Cool segment, enabled through smart design, innovation via simplicity of the product construction, and implementation of modern manufacturing processes.”Launched in 1983 by Nicolas G. Hayek, Swatch is a leading Swiss watchmaker. The brand philosophy is based on color, movement, lightness and transparency, which can be seen in every Swatch product and project. Swatch The Eyes will be launched in spring 2016 and will be supported by the “I Always Want More Looks” Swatch advertising campaign. Nick Hayek, president of Swatch, added, “Recreating a success story in eyewear via the reinterpretation of the category is an exciting challenge. Swatch is globally recognized as a lifestyle brand, expressive and meaningful in the way it captures trends and emotions: beyond timepieces, eyewear also belongs to those product categories that customers enjoy because they merge fun, style and quality. Safilo is a quality partner offering the highest quality craftsmanship and we are happy to join forces with them.”According to the companies, Swatch The Eyes will be distributed through Swatch’s global retail network and initially in Safilo’s U.S. retail chain, Solstice, followed by select North American eyewear retailers. Swatch and Safilo intend to then expand Safilo’s distribution to further regions across the world.