Quick, what’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear Swatch? Perhaps it’s the watches everyone seemed to have in the late 80s, or perhaps you think of the Swatch Group, and all the various brands under them umbrella. While today’s example hearkens back to the first reference, it’s definitely been updated.
The watch in question comes from the New Gent collection; our specific model is known as the Black Rebel. As you can see, this is a very blacked-out model. Past it’s stealthy looks, you get the following from this watch (and the collection):
- Quartz movement
- 90 feet water resistance
- An easy to swap battery
- Silicone strap
- Day/date display
For me, at first I was really a fan of the looks of the piece. Somehow, the all black (even black lume) made the watch look and feel like it was coming from a higher range in the Swatch catalog. In daily wear, though, it was a mixed bag. On one hand, it did look good. On the flip side, though, the black-on-black treatment, along with the domed acrylic, made it tougher to read than I’d prefer.
All told, you’ve got a bone simple three hander here, albeit with the welcome addition of a day/date display. Within this group from Swatch, you’ve got a lot of choices, so this watch is definitely targeted towards the fashion end of the spectrum. Readability is a bit compromised in this specific example, but other ones in the range may work out better for you if you’re looking to snag one of these.
