Swatch sIstem 51

[kazste]

Wondered if anyone has one of these orif anyone has looked into them, apparently it's the first mechanical watch solely made by machines.

Quite an interesting concept and only £108 so think I may get a sistem blue unless someone puts me off.

http://www.swatch.com/en/sistem51

[RobinBanks]

If it's as good as the automatic chronographs, it should be a good watch.

Mine is great. That said, I am selling it. But only because I never use the chronograph and my tastes have changed since I bought it!

[yellowyellow]

Hi Kaz, I have had a sistem red since the summer and I like it a lot, I haven't bought a swatch for many a year and got it as much to collect as to wear to be honest. Well I've only had it 6 months and I only wear it occasionally but it's a typical swatch in that it is very cheap feeling and 'plasticky' the crown is a bit fiddly to pull out and the strap looks it will age quite quickly with regular use. However you get what you pay for I suppose I believe they have a realistic life of around 20 yrs so £108 isn't so bad I reckon.
I'm sure the ph massive will have a lot of alternatives though.

[kazste]

I have quite a few alternatives myself to wear, just thought quite an interesting piece. I'm sure there's a shop near me so may go and take a look but I did think read it as though it was a fairly new release and likely to be limited in the red and the blue. Looking at it again I don't know how I came to this assumption but part of the appeal has gone a bit. That being said it's about the same as s g shock so will still take a look.

Edited by kazste on Wednesday 7th January 06:42

[sad61t]

Try one before buying - I had a look and they are rather bulky (42mm x 13.6mm for a simple time and date, and I think (from http://www.amazon.co.uk/Watch-Swatch-Sistem-SUTB40...) 5cm lug to lug. Would make a fair sized pocket watch, and unlikely to fit well under a shirt cuff.

But then I think anything over 36mm is too large. And that men's watches have second hands while ladies' watches do not. 1920 here I come.

[michael gould]

bloody ugly watch ....should only be worn by teenagers

[Arun_D]

I have a Sistem red, which inspired my colleague to get a blue.

I like it a lot, and seem to be wearing it a lot more then my Sea Dweller 4000 at the moment!

[kazste]

Will definitely take a look next time im in town was thinking would have to get soon if ltd edition poss without seeing so glad in a way its not will take a look soon. My new g shock has just arrived today so i can give it a week or so for the next purchase

[Jim Campbell]

I got one last week because i was starting to worry about damaging my other watches at work. I am very happy so far.

At the price there isn't any reason not to buy it. I find the engineering behind it fascinating only 51 moving parts, assembled by machines and i am starting to like the noises it make when you move suddenly.

[clockworks]

Unless I misread the website, it's a range of disposable automatic watches for the price of a Seiko 5. I don't get it.

[ADP68]

There's a thread I found on another watch forum where someone dissected one and said it was basically a disposable watch with not much in the way of innovation. I tried one in the Swatch store in Oxford St and the novelty wore off after a few seconds as it felt so 'swatch-like' and plasticky (which it, of course, is).
My son's £55 Seiko 5 seems so much better in comparison.

[Jim Campbell]

clockworks said:

Unless I misread the website, it's a range of disposable automatic watches for the price of a Seiko 5. I don't get it.

In isolation i would agree the seiko 5 is nicer looking thing but i already have a nice automatic seiko and i find the 51 interesting.

[Dempsey1971]

3Hz?
That seems an odd number to me. 3 ticks per second. 180 per minute, 10800 per hour, when most mechanicals are 6 or 8 per second. Even a chinese 25j movement can manage 5 ticks per second.

[clockworks]

It's probably 6 "ticks" per second, but they are listing it as 3hz as the escapement ticks twice for each complete cycle of the balance.

[NomduJour]

Nice idea but the movement is apparently of very low quality.