Right now, the three-ring circus known as Baseworld is going on, and the folks over at ABlogToWatch are checking out more watches in an hour that we probably all see (hands-on) in a year. One very intriguing one popped on their pages, and I wanted to point it out to you.
Of all the brands who are getting reported on, Swatch wasn’t really one I was anticipating having anything coming out that would really make me stand up and take attention – but wow, was I ever wrong. They’re introducing something new, the Sistem51 that, on the surface, looks like just about any other analog swatch you’ve seen – simple case, basic three-hander readout, bold colors, etc.
This one is much, much different though – it’s actually housing an automatic movement that has a 90 (!) hour power reserve, and one that only has 51 pieces comprising it (how’s that for serviceability?). One quibble you may (or may not) have with automatics is that often times, the rotor will obscure large portions of the movement, so you can’t necessarily see as much as you’d like to see.
Well, here, Swatch has actually gone with a transparent disc, rather than the more common wedge of metal. Aside from the “gee whiz” factor, this allows you to see the whole movement at work, much like you would with a manually-wound movement.
Just on the specs and design alone, this watch had me taking notice. But the kicker on this thing is that Swatch is pegging the price right at 100 Swiss Francs – aka just over $100. That’s an unheard of price (at least to me) for an automatic carrying the Swiss label on it. It all adds up to a very intriguing entry point for someone who’s looking for an automatic.
You can read AB2W’s full article right here.
A New Recommendation For Your First Mechanical Watch? http://t.co/dvD0wZ7u1y
A New Recommendation For Your First Mechanical Watch? http://t.co/HKOg9rKbnw
I thought that Swatches all had sealed cases, and were not serviceable AT ALL.
You know, that could be – I’ve never poked around much at a Swatch, and I’ve never been hands-on with their mechanicals.
Check out this sweet new @SwatchUS that @aBlogtoWatch brought to our attention:
http://t.co/C0J7xZL64L
Yes, some of these Swatches are cool. I live here 20km away from where they are built.
But the problem is: these pieces are to throw away if something happens. And of course something will happen 🙂 They are not to repair at all, the plastic case is welded hermeticly and not to open.
The next issue is: they need a very special kind of strap (can be seen on the picture above). If the strap reaches end of life you need indeed an original and expensive Swatch strap because no other will fit.
I had several Swatches in the last ten years and all were somehow interesting. One was an automatic, a completely mechanical watch,which founded my interest in mechanical watches … But after three years the movement didn’t wind up completely anymore. Sometimes the watch indeed stopped and I had to wind it up manually. While I did this the excentric rotor co-rotated with high speed which gave the whole watch a nice vibration … Yes, not good at all, but wherever I go … “No, it’s not repairable, it’s a Swatch, Sir.”
I wouldn’t buy one more.
OK, it is not serviceable. But it is $100 or so. Ideally, I would want a watch that can last a lifetime, but at the same time, the low cost and the features make it almost a really cool disposable. I don’t wear any of my automatics when I go biking because I don’t want to damage them if I go down. At this price, I am not going to be overly concerned if I get a few scratches.
Count me in for one… or two.