Swatch and Damien Hirst have collaborated to celebrate Mickey Mouse’s 90th birthday

Brit art icon Damien Hirst has collaborated with best-selling watch brand Swatch on two limited edition and numbered Mickey Mouse watches. Hirst is reportedly the richest living artist in the UK, with a fortune estimated by the 2010 Sunday Times Rich List to be £215 million. His partnership with Swatch will elevate these fun watches from wearable art to significant collectors’ items.

The most famous of all Disney characters – the True Original – Mickey Mouse is loved by all generations and is immediately associated with vibrant colour and fun times. The connection with Swatch is obvious really, as it, too, is a brand that is embraced by every generation and identified with vibrancy and energy because of its archive of bold, graphic prints and motifs.

The first watch, Spot Mickey, limited to just 1,999 pieces, features Mickey Mouse on the dial and is framed by his signature colours of black and red on the bracelet.

Spot Mickey, €165; Mirror Spot Mickey, €110

Mirror Spot Mickey, limited to 19,999 pieces, features Mickey’s signature spots both on the dial and the strap, and portrays the character against a mirrored background on the dial. This watch will be available to buy at Swatch’s Grafton Street store and in Arnotts on November 18, Mickey Mouse’s actual birthday.

Both of these watches bear Hirst’s signature on the underside of the watch, making them not just covetable timepieces, but sought after pieces of art too. If you’re searching for a Christmas gift that has real value and meaning (but doesn’t cost a fortune), then a Swatch Mickey Mouse watch should be top of your shopping list.

To find out more information on this limited edition collection visit swatch.ie .