What about Swatch?

[Oyster Sauce]

Picked up the Swatch x 007 collaboration Q watch recently -- really fun watch. Somehow made it this far into watch enthusiasm without having ever previously owned a Swatch, although I've always liked the brand. Wanted one as a kid, but even Swatches were too rich for our family.

What are your thoughts on Swatch the brand (vs the Swatch Group)? Their bread and butter has been their colorful quartz watches, although the Sistem 51 gets respect for its innovative approach to mechanical watch manufacture. My best approximation is that the Swatch brand is the Swiss version of G-Shock, in a spiritual sense. Not alike in tactical robustness -- G-Shock is in a completely different universe in that category. Rather, both brands make innovative, fun, accessible, reliable, and well known watches that enthusiasts from all walks of life can accumulate multiple of if desired.

I suspect many on the forum got into watches via Swatch. I give the brand a thumbs up!

[Jay (Eire)]

Big fan of the Sistem51, and to a lesser extent the broader Swatch offering (just a preference for no batteries, although for G-Shock I make an exception with the Tough Solar).

The Sistem51 is the perfect beater, summer watch, mountain watch etc. The variety of the broader Swatch line-up is not there but there’s enough to keep it interesting.

[Chewbacca]

They’re great for the price and their purpose.

I still have about 5 laying around.

[enjoythemusic]

Have been a fan of Swatch since the 1980s. Sure they are mainly about style, yet over the years there have been surprises such as the System 51, and i ALMOST got a Swatch Diaphane One Carousel Tourbillon when they came out. Bought the Body & Soul when it first came out decades ago. Wife has two Swatches i got her plus the usual Rollie / Cartier / etc.

[EEpro]

Huge swatch fan. First watch owned in the 80s and have had many. They even used to have a rubber crystal protector for people who are in to that sort of thing.

I like their olive drab / mil green ones. So simple and legible.

[FTX I]

I like them. I own this vintage automatic from the early nineties. Some people think the system51 was the first, but the first automatic was released in 1991.

https://www.fratellowatches.com/tbt-...tch-automatic/

[CFR]

How can anyone not love a Bunny Sutra, shown below? It arguably provides the most useful complication of any wristwatch.

For those unfamiliar with this model, it's like playing roulette. You tap the crystal forcefully once, and then you watch and wait. Both hands (minute/hour) immediately move to 12 o'clock, where they synchronize, and then the two synchronized hands move together and stop on one of the six random "positions," where they pause for a few seconds. [What you choose to do with that "positional information" is your own private business.] Then, after a few seconds, the minute and hour hands split up and reset to the correct time.

[FTX I]

Bunny Sutra

[CFR]

Originally Posted by FTX I

Bunny Sutra

Yes lol, and after you're done with the Bunny Sutra, you may be hungry for dessert

[FTX I]

Originally Posted by CFR

Yes lol, and after you're done with the Bunny Sutra, you may be hungry for dessert

Great pair man. Thanks for sharing

[enjoythemusic]

Originally Posted by CFR

How can anyone not love a Bunny Sutra, shown below? It arguably provides the most useful complication of any wristwatch.

For those unfamiliar with this model, it's like playing roulette. You tap the crystal forcefully once, and then you watch and wait. Both hands (minute/hour) immediately move to 12 o'clock, where they synchronize, and then the two synchronized hands move together and stop on one of the six random "positions," where they pause for a few seconds. [What you choose to do with that "positional information" is your own private business.] Then, after a few seconds, the minute and hour hands split up and reset to the correct time.

Wait, what? How the hell did I miss not getting one?

[CFR]

Originally Posted by enjoythemusic

Wait, what? How the hell did I miss not getting one?

Cuz there were none left -- I got 'em all

[eBay has 'em but they're not getting any cheaper these days!]

[FTX I]

Originally Posted by CFR

Cuz there were none left -- I got 'em all

[eBay has 'em but they're not getting any cheaper these days!]

I'm not surprised you have so many after that much fornication.

[CFR]

Originally Posted by FTX I

I'm not surprised you have so many after that much fornication.

[aff1]

Originally Posted by FTX I

I'm not surprised you have so many after that much fornication.

Wait what???

[springer]

Swatch watch - the original collectable watch - at least for me during the 1980s and early 1990s. I couldn't get enough of them. The original chronos, scubas, oddball regular issues and the collectors models from the Swatch club, I still have them all. I must have over two hundred of them squirreled away in a closet - absent their batteries of course . I sold a few of them through the years but still have quite a stash of them to include the ever collectable Sex-Tease Kamasutra (that baby was hot).

[Pw92676]

Originally Posted by CFR

Cuz there were none left -- I got 'em all

[eBay has 'em but they're not getting any cheaper these days!]

This is a watch I will wait on a list for!

[enjoythemusic]

Originally Posted by FTX I

I'm not surprised you have so many after that much fornication.

[CFR]

Originally Posted by springer

Swatch watch - the original collectable watch - at least for me during the 1980s and early 1990s. I couldn't get enough of them. The original chronos, scubas, oddball regular issues and the collectors models from the Swatch club, I still have them all. I must have over two hundred of them squirreled away in a closet - absent their batteries of course . I sold a few of them through the years but still have quite a stash of them to include the ever collectable Sex-Tease Kamasutra (that baby was hot).

And you don't even have to worry if the bezel insert is correct!

[Dsmith1974]

Originally Posted by Jay (Eire)

Big fan of the Sistem51, and to a lesser extent the broader Swatch offering (just a preference for no batteries, although for G-Shock I make an exception with the Tough Solar).

The Sistem51 is the perfect beater, summer watch, mountain watch etc. The variety of the broader Swatch line-up is not there but there’s enough to keep it interesting.

I don’t get it. The Sistem51 is hailed as a breakthrough affordable mechanical watch with fewer moving parts due to a clever design. But it’s not serviceable or even adjustable. Basically a ten year throw away watch. A Seiko Five would cost about the same and last a life time and they’ve been going since the 70s. All I can smell is marketing and hype.


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[mongrelnomoad]

Swatch definitely has made its mark on global culture, but I can’t help but feel that a plastic watch, non-recyclable and designed to be disposable, is very much an anathema to our era of climate emergency. I’d far prefer to buy a proper watch (eg. Seiko 5) - metal, serviceable, designed to last - for the same money.

[ValueYouWatch]

Went to the swatch store in Honolulu and I can't say I dont like the watches. They look actually nice

[Jay (Eire)]

Originally Posted by Dsmith1974

I don’t get it. The Sistem51 is hailed as a breakthrough affordable mechanical watch with fewer moving parts due to a clever design. But it’s not serviceable or even adjustable. Basically a ten year throw away watch. A Seiko Five would cost about the same and last a life time and they’ve been going since the 70s. All I can smell is marketing and hype.


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Why do you think it will need servicing? My 30 year old Rolex doesn’t. Also, I would guess that 99.99% of all swatches which stoped working for a reason other than a dead battery are not serviced.

It’s disposable, like most fashion.

The Seiko 5, and others, are as you point out great alternatives. But I would hazard a guess that the vast majority of broken Seiko 5 do not get serviced either.

[ancientmariner]

Just have this Swatch 'Black Out'
Bought many years ago, was one of my first watches.

Did see it some years later in a magazine. An unused one in original packaging was worth £2,000 then! Probably not now.

[Kit Gerhart]

Originally Posted by Jay (Eire)

Big fan of the Sistem51, and to a lesser extent the broader Swatch offering (just a preference for no batteries, although for G-Shock I make an exception with the Tough Solar).

The Sistem51 is the perfect beater, summer watch, mountain watch etc. The variety of the broader Swatch line-up is not there but there’s enough to keep it interesting.

I like mechanical watches, and the "fun" look of Sistem51 watches, but have had very bad luck with them. I had two early ones that only last a few weeks, and were replaced on warranty, and the 3rd barely lasted out the 2 year warranty. Then, another one which was "good" when new will not run, after not being used for about a year. I don't know if they have changed anything since my early purchases of Sistem51 watches, but I couldn't recommend them. For me, a $100 Seiko is a much better "beater" mechanical watch.

[Kit Gerhart]

Originally Posted by Jay (Eire)

Why do you think it will need servicing? My 30 year old Rolex doesn’t. Also, I would guess that 99.99% of all swatches which stoped working for a reason other than a dead battery are not serviced.

It’s disposable, like most fashion.

The Seiko 5, and others, are as you point out great alternatives. But I would hazard a guess that the vast majority of broken Seiko 5 do not get serviced either.

I have had 5 Sistme51 watches. Two lasted a few weeks and were replaced on warranty, and the second replacement barely lasted out the two year warranty. Another bought at the same time worked for a few years with intermittent use, but will not run after non-use for a year or so. I have one that still works. Meanwhile, my 38 year old Rolex works well, with one service over those years. More significantly, my Seiko 5, at less than Sistem51 price works well after 8 years with no service.

[Jay (Eire)]

Originally Posted by Kit Gerhart

I like mechanical watches, and the "fun" look of Sistem51 watches, but have had very bad luck with them. I had two early ones that only last a few weeks, and were replaced on warranty, and the 3rd barely lasted out the 2 year warranty. Then, another one which was "good" when new will not run, after not being used for about a year. I don't know if they have changed anything since my early purchases of Sistem51 watches, but I couldn't recommend them. For me, a $100 Seiko is a much better "beater" mechanical watch.

I have maybe 10 Sistem51, ranging from the very first models released to as recent as this month. To counterbalance your bad luck, I’ve not had issue with any of them.

Swatches were always fun disposable fashion. These are no different.

Seiko does seem to getting into the fun fashion side this last 12-18 months with all these Seiko 5 releases. Given the serviceability for some people this may be a better choice (assuming you like the look/style).


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[Kit Gerhart]

Originally Posted by Jay (Eire)

Big fan of the Sistem51, and to a lesser extent the broader Swatch offering (just a preference for no batteries, although for G-Shock I make an exception with the Tough Solar).

The Sistem51 is the perfect beater, summer watch, mountain watch etc. The variety of the broader Swatch line-up is not there but there’s enough to keep it interesting.

From my experience, they aren't very good. I had two Sistem51 Chics which failed after a few weeks, and were replaced on warranty. The third one barely lasted out the two year warranty, and with no abuse. I have a "white" which looks cool, but sitting for about a year killed it. No amount of shaking, etc. will get it going. I have a "blue" that still runs, but my 8 year old Seiko which cost less than a Sistem51 has been flawless, about equal to my Rolex in performance. Maybe I've just been unlucky with the Sistem51s, or maybe they have been improved. The ones that failed very quickly were early ones.