Okay, so the Swatch Sistem 51 automatic mechanical movement is simple but fun, and it can’t be repaired or regulated. If anything, Swatch has again succeeded in circumventing luxury with a sense of fun – something the company has been successful at doing since its formation in the 1980s. Nevertheless, Swatch made sure that despite the “non-luxury nature” of the Swatch Sistem 51, it has a cool, funky look to it. All the elements of a mechanical watch that you expect are there, such as a view of the oscillating balance wheel, but of course, so much is also different. You have a full plastic disc as the rotor which features an inner eccentric weight that allows it to operate as an automatic rotor. One of the most unique design elements (in addition to all the funky colors and designs) is the use of a transparent automatic rotor. According to Swatch, there are no other screws in the movement. A highlight is the view of the single, central screw which mounts the automatic rotor. The Swatch Sistem 51 movement even features a view of the mechanism through the rear of the watches. Automating the process of making watch movements is something that has proved futile on many levels in the past, with companies realizing that human effort is still often the most efficient when it comes to a number of watch movement production steps. In fact, this attempt at automating the production of a mechanical movement is one of the most interesting parts of the Swatch Sistem 51 story that most people understand little about. This movement has been specifically designed to be produced and regulated with as little human effort as possible. This is true for many Swiss watch movements, but not the Swatch Sistem 51. People tend to associate Swiss mechanical watches with a watchmaker sitting over a bench and assembling and regulating each movement by hand. This is basically the same policy that most watch repair places have with quartz movements because the replacement cost is cheaper than the repair cost. In fact, the entire Swatch Sistem 51 movement is said to be hermetically sealed, so if it breaks, the intention is more or less to simply replace it. The movement uses mostly plastic, as opposed to metal, and is not designed to be serviced. The movement is produced from 51 parts, operates at 3Hz (21,600 bph) and has a long power reserve of 90 hours. So let’s talk about the movement inside of Swatch Sistem 51 watches – a topic that has been explored a lot. The dial design takes on the look of a star or planet chart with a small “red constellation.” These red marks represent 6 of the 19 rubies that exist in the movement. This is the Swatch “Sistem Black” reference SUTB400 that was one of the original Swatch Sistem 51 releases. Actually, in truth, the sales success of Swatch is more beneficial to the luxury watch world than vice versa.įor this watch review, I wanted to feature not one of the newer Swatch Sistem 51 designs, but one of the original few that existed as part of the debut collection. So even though there are lower-priced Asian mechanical watches, the “Swiss nature” of the Swatch Sistem 51 allowed for it to live a bit closer to the world of luxury timepieces that helped spawn it. I used that exact language when featuring the Swatch Sistem 51 watch in our Top 10 Affordable Watches That Get A Nod From Watch Snobs article. One of the best things you can say about the Swatch Sistem 51 collection is that budget watch lovers could finally have a timepiece that was both inexpensive and fun, while also suitable as a timepiece to get a nod from watch snobs. It was not until late 2014 that the Swatch Sistem 51 collection was officially available for sale in the USA. Below is a guide to corresponding WR and ATM ratings.Perhaps the irony of Swatch’s high-volume production mechanical watches produced by robots was that they experienced production delays that led to a slower-than-anticipated rollout of Swatch Sistem 51 watches around the world. Watches labeled water-resistant without a depth indicated can withstand splashes and rain, but should not be submerged.Īnother rating used to measure water resistance is Atmosphere (ATM) ratings. To maintain water resistance, do not press any buttons under water unless your watch is indicated as 200m water-resistant. Here are the activities each of those ratings allow:ĥ0m: Washing hands, Light swimming, Snorkelling, Poolside Diving.ġ00m: Washing hands, Light swimming, Snorkelling, Poolside Diving, Surfing.Ģ00m: Washing hands, Light swimming, Snorkelling, Poolside Diving, Surfing, Recreational Scuba Diving. Most Timex watches come with a water-resistant rating of: 30m (meters), 50m, 100m or 200m. At this time Timex only sells water-resistant watches. Waterproof means that water is not allowed to pass through it. Water-resistance is the ability to resist the penetration of water to a certain degree.
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