Swatch insists 'one more thing' trademark connected to Columbo, not Apple

Swatch's Swiss trademark on the term "one more thing" is really a reference to a line from the TV show Columbo, according to a spokesperson for the watchmaker.

The company trademarks all of its model and collection names in different categories, the representative told Techradar. Some of these names revolve around themes, like movies or culinary dishes.

"In this case, the name was inspired by inspector Columbo's citation 'Just one more thing' — obviously our design team plans to launch a collection inspired by the 'Film Noir'," the person claimed.

Swatch doesn't currently have a watch or collection going by the Film Noir name. It could conceivably be developing one, since it only applied for the trademark in November.

"One more thing" was also a phrase regularly used by Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, however, as a way of introducing important items during press events. Swatch has also sought a trademark on the phrase "Tick different," a play on Apple's defunct "Think Different" slogan.

Although Swatch has yet to step into the world of smartwatches, it may be trying to draw the attention of people who would otherwise consider an Apple Watch. Many of Swatch's products are less expensive, but the gap is small enough that some people may be willing to spend more on Apple's offerings for the extra functionality.

In May of 2014 Swatch revealed that it was objecting to Apple's attempt to trademark the name "iWatch" in several countries, on the basis that it sounded too similar to its own "iSwatch" brand. Apple ultimately decided against using the iWatch label, though it's not clear whether that's because of Swatch, as the latter company publicly stated that it had no plans to bring Apple to court. Several other products use the Apple-first naming motif, chiefly the Apple TV and Apple Music.