Hello to all ye new comers!
I’ve had loads of fresh subscribers in the past few days and I’d love to know more about you! How did you hear about Schmatta? What decor or nostalgia things are you into? Feel free to get in touch with any post requests by commenting/replying to this email/or sending a note via the Schmatta Instagram. So, before we get to the good stuff, a few questions for y’all.
But now, on to…
The Mystery of the Benetton Clock
I stumbled upon Benetton clocks in my Etsy travels. The path started when I randomly landed on this Kraft Singles promo clock featuring The Wild Thornberrys —a most puzzling piece of marketing that was apparently part of a Nickelodeon giveaway. (But was clearly an evil scheme by the Kraft empire to permeate American tweens’ subconsciouses so as to induce a pavlovian craving for American cheese with an alarm each weekday.)
Cheese clock aside, I found myself immersed in the world of vintage clocks of the ‘80s and ‘90s, and particularly drawn to a number of Benetton-branded clocks, especially the preppy plaid design above. Next, I questioned my Gen X sources — my older sister, and my older husband — about the timepieces.
Both, in their typical generational slackery, offered unenthusiastic information in the form of “never seen them” and “that’s weird.”
I scoured Google, multiple newspaper archives, Reddit, and came up empty handed, save for some advertisements for local jewelry/homewares shops in the Buffalo area that listed Benetton clocks as part of their inventory. Even Benetton’s corporate website offers no mention; their archive of press releases only goes as far back as 1996.
What we do know is that in the ‘80s, Benetton began producing watches before the clocks, which tracks; it was a moment when “novelty” and “fashion” watches were on the rise as lifestyle objects that “expressed” one’s personality. And if you were a Benetton customer, a watch from the brand perhaps signified that you were tangentially concerned about the environment, or wanting to show your value of “multiculturalism,” or perhaps, more simply, you were just a “Special Girl.”
The clocks started appearing in the late ‘80s — produced by Bulova — to little fanfare. But what struck me most about these products was the size. You’re probably thinking they’re along the lines of a compact Braun, when in fact, they’re oversized, about 9 x 9 inches. Roughly the size of a ginormous pancake. Or Simon, the game.
It’s probably safe to say that whoever put these into production was trying to capture part of the Giant Swatch market, aka 6- to 14-year-olds whose bedroom wallpaper matched their sheets.
Now for a sad digression, which is that not too long ago, Urban Outfitters — killer of childhood joy, prosthelytizer of boho floor cushions — was selling Giant Swatches with the probable aim of just upsetting elder millennials. Mission accomplished, UO. Bravo.
But back to Benetton, which seems to exist, for most of us, as a fixture of nostalgia, rather than a barely-surviving clothing label that’s long-distanced from its shock-factor. But for a brand that no longer has design relevance, Benetton has, interestingly, some impressive real estate holdings.
Its corporate headquarters, located in the Italian countryside some 18 miles outside of Venice, is housed in a 17th-century villa, renovated and added on to by Afri and Tobia Scarpa, aka creators of the Soriana chair (among other iconic designs).
In Treviso, you’ll find Fabrica, Benetton’s “communication research center” which hosts young artists from across the globe and offers cultural programming. The campus is, once again, an historic villa, with additions by the insanely prolific Japanese architect Tadao Ando.
For a company that is still so invested in design and innovation, Benetton’s “home” offerings are disastrously disappointing, with basic and lackluster sheets and towels that look no better than your basic Ikea design.
So, to wrap things up on the clocks — I sadly don’t have a satisfying answer.* But here are my theories. 1) The clocks were a bigger hit/had more of a push in European markets and 2) That Bulova essentially licensed the Benetton name and sold the clock in non-Benetton locations, like perhaps a JC Penney or Macy’s. Either way, I’d like to think that they were a thing in some corner of the preppy universe, like maybe they had a moment as dorm decor among east coast boarding schoolers.
Of course, if you ever had a Benetton clock or are familiar with them, please leave a comment!