Space Sheep
A 1998 vintage Swatch that asks: what if a flock got loose in low Earth orbit?
In 1998, Swatch released a watch called Space Sheep, and I love its color palette and adorable space sheep.
The GG174 is a vintage Swatch from the Standards Gent line, 34mm, that puts a small white dial under an oversized black globe at twelve o’clock, then sets the whole thing on an ice-blue plastic strap covered in abstract circular sheep heads. The sheep are not realistic. They are flat, graphic, sort of glyph-like, the kind of shape that reads as “sheep” the same way a pictogram on a bathroom door reads as “person.” Floating around your wrist. In space.
You have to remember where Swatch was in 1998. The brand was deep into its weirdest, most confident decade. The Standards line was the everyday workhorse range, but even the workhorses got concept treatment. Space Sheep is a great example of that energy. It is not a special edition, not an art collab, not a numbered piece. It is a regular production Swatch that just happens to be about sheep in outer space, because somebody at Swatch said “what if” and nobody said no.
Why this one
Space Sheep is a conversation piece in the most literal sense. Wear it once, and someone will ask. The graphic language is so specific, so committed, that it tips past quirky and into iconic. It also wears really well. 34mm is the original Swatch Gent size, which, to my eye, is the proportion these designs were always meant for. Anything bigger feels like a remake. The Standards case is light, comfortable, and unfussy, and the ice-blue strap is genuinely beautiful in person, more pale aqua than baby blue.
This is also a piece that has aged into its joke. In 1998, it was just a fun Swatch. In 2026, it reads like an artifact from a moment when a Swiss watch company could put cartoon sheep on a globe and call it Tuesday.
Is the Space Sheep rare?
The Space Sheep was a regular production model rather than a limited or numbered edition, but it has become harder to find in good condition almost three decades after release. New-old-stock examples with original packaging are especially scarce, and prices have crept up steadily as the late-90s Swatch Standards line has gained collector attention.
Where to buy a vintage Swatch
Vintage Swatches like the GG174 mostly trade through specialist collector shops, Etsy, and eBay. Wrist Assured is one of those specialist sources, focused on hand-picked vintage and collectible Swatch watches with original packaging where available. The current Space Sheep listing is linked below.
Specs
Reference: GG174
Name: Space Sheep
Collection: Swatch Standards, Gent
Year: 1998
Case: 34mm plastic
Dial: White with oversized black globe motif at twelve
Strap: Ice-blue plastic with abstract sheep head pattern
Movement: Swiss quartz
Water resistance: 3 bar (30m)
Origin: Swiss made (Switzerland)
From the Shop
This Space Sheep is available now in the Wrist Assured Etsy shop, a curated source for vintage and collectible Swatch watches.
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FAQ
What is the Swatch GG174?
The Swatch GG174, also called Space Sheep, is a 1998 Swiss-made vintage Swatch from the Standards Gent collection. It features a 34mm plastic case, a white dial with an oversized black globe motif at twelve, an ice-blue plastic strap printed with abstract sheep heads, and Swiss quartz movement with 3 bar water resistance.