Why Swatch Watches Are MEH
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- Опубліковано 27 лип 2024
- In this Swatch review video, I showcase why I think Swatch watches are just meh.
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for a moment I thought it was a close up of some Japanese movement
@@nourw.1874 😂
I taught my lap top was failing...
Aren't they more like collectibles. You get a swatch, because you want a Swatch, not because you want any watch
Exactly. That's why I love them.
Grown up with them helps too.
spot on
Well yes, and i just love the crazy designs, that's why i have a bb spectrum pink taste and a bb burning lava
Collectibles.... that's what you call clear plastic stuff with a battery replacement like some chinese kids toy....
I want a couple of swatches because I want some clothing complements (and also read the time) but I have real watches
A very positive point about Swatches is that they've made battery replacement very convenient.
It’s just a shame they didn’t include this level, (or any level) of serviceability in the Sistem51.
Edit : just found out the new steel ones are serviceable
@@CS-oo6hs system51 are mechanical , no?
@@dixion1000 yes, I believe so
They might have made it solar powered and never have this problem ever again.
And they will buff out scratches on the face for free.
Don’t take Swatches too seriously- they’re meant to be fun. There’s a following for sure. And they last; it’s not uncommon to find working examples from the 80s and 90s. I’d say those are good reasons enough find one and enjoy!
Agree. I don't know what his problem is, but if he likes his Omegas and Rolexes, he should continue wearing them and leave the rest of us alone.
Mine was chronograpg alumium made both 2003 and it lasted only few years before the chronograph went crazy and misaligned. On the other hand Casio works like day one, I even have a Chinese copy of G shock both for $3 10 years ago and it works still perfectly with the first battery !
@@BrateTebra123u can readjust the chrono easily. Misalignment often happens after small shocks to the watch. I hope u didn't get rid of it. It's even in the manual of the watch. I think I just realigned the chrono of the exact swatch u r talking about some days ago. They are not digital casios, but they r okay watches imo :) and the alu Version is a gem for sure!
Yes also they are for fun but nice yo have one especially with funny colours for the summer time.
I feel you're missing the point of these watches. They are in fact designed to be "secondary " watches hence the name. They're supposed to be fun watches that you can wear on certain days. Also reflected in the toyish feel and low cost. For what they are I think they're pretty cool!
Spot on.
Agreed!
Wow. You are right about the name! For years I thought it was a combination of Swiss +watch: Swatch. Learn something every day...
Matthew Hernandez fun watches sure, but why does it have to feel toyish? And the cost aint that low for what it is... just because its a “second watch” doesnt mean it should feel like shit. Nothing fun about getting a bad deal lol with “swiss made” gimmick to inflate the price of an all plastic/all machine made piece of toyish fashion.
@@jw6871 You don't like Swiss stuff, we get it.
I feel like you kind of miss the point of these watches (which is fine, they don't have to be to everyone's taste). A swatch is a fun, (relatively) cheap, colourful watch that will actually last. Having those bright colours would look terrible on a metal case. On top of this, a lot of people like super light watches.
I take your argument about just buying a casio for less, but the analog casio's are usually either a bit over the top or a bit basic. Swatch is the middle ground.
So is recommending a seiko, orient or timex for someone who wants a mvmt. Mvmt may be many things, but plain and boring design isn't one of them, unlike seiko, timex or orient, many of the, seem to be meh with their old school designs for most people, especially under 25....something watch snobs seem not able to understand. They think ''heritage" should trump a pretty design...who is out of touch there?
@@casualsuede personally the only thing I have against mvmt is the price. I don't value heritage too much. Sure if it's got it then that's nice, but I would never buy a watch purely because of that. I don't own a single one of the brands you mentioned.
@@eoghanmyers2330 I couldn't agree more
casualsuede No effort has been made by MVMT watches into the designs of their dials. People hate them because you can order like 10 of these same watches for less than the price of the mvmt rip offs from somewhere like alibaba.
In my country swatches are expensive, coming around $100 each. Which, in any good conscience, a G shock and a seiko 5s are the clear choice. I love the simpla watch style of them, and bought some during my trips, but never bought one in Indonesia, where I live. Strap wise, I just bought the fake chinese swatches and rip the bands, which ironically has metal buckle, although not in the plastic style.
One thing Swatch has going for it as well is that they are one of the few watchmakers that really take ladies' watches seriously and comes up with unique colours and designs instead of "the same but smaller" or some afterthought minimal designs.
The amount of colours available combined with low prices on the plastic models make them great accessories to switch around depending on what else you're wearing.
Not to mention, they did the best possible job "de-formalizing" watches and making them fun instead of trying to be all class or all function.
yes, thats why i love swatch, theyre fun! and do a perfect job at telling the time 😊
Some of the ladies' Swatches are smaller versions of the gents' watch. I have both Big and Little Eclipse Swatches. (Jan Griffiths).
The plastic ones aren't a gimmick. Those are Swatch's heritage. When I was a teenager back in the 80s, I had several of those. They were good cheap watches if you wanted to go analog instead of wearing an F91-W.
The plastic aesthetic isn't for everyone, obviously, but I wouldn't call it a gimmick. The metal ones are actually more of a gimmick to me, because that's not who Swatch is.
People are forgetting that these plastic watches pretty much saved the Swiss watch industry as a whole
I agree.
I am 52 and still have all my swatches from the 80's when I was a teen, as I took excellent care of them and they all still work, now they get alternated every couple of weeks. I agree with Brian Hartman, the plastic ones are not a gimmick, they are the foundation that started Swatches, the metal ones were the more gimmicky ones to me (and others).
the new irony models are the best, plastic is just sht...If you want plastic get a nice casio
For anyone growing up in the 80-90s, Swatches were everywhere.
I bought a Swatch in Beijing 8 years ago because I needed a watch and it was the first watch shop I came across. It still keeps time perfectly and looks in good condition despite being worn everyday for at least the first couple of years. I don't think you can be too harsh on this company.
My sister has always worn them since university. 5-8 years each one.
He has his head up his arse.
@@j0hnnykn0xv1lle he really REALLY does.
How can you need a watch?
@@emmi5010 Know the time ?
I love them... I have about 20. One is 35 years old. Some of the collaborations with artists are absolutely beautiful funky pieces. Have a few and add them to your general watch collection.
john preston too expensive for what it is. “Second watch” only for middle class people lmfao anyone else sees the gimmick
Ive the Stockholm 1994 olympic automatic swatch, the remaining swatch i have had been broken except this one , and i rarely use it , keeping it as a collectors item
I love them as well! My dad gave me his swatches (Irony Chrono) that he bought back in 1995, I've been wearing them to school as daily watches, and they're still accurate and look good.
@@jw6871I wear a swatch watch on each wrist to flex my middle class wealth!
i think you are a bit harsh on swatch. i do not like them myself, but i think they are fun colorful and cheerful, always brings me a smile when i see someone wearing them, and i can appreciate them without owning one. also you cant ignore that they are the first who made watches as fashion accessory more then anything else.
Ben, I think you've missed the point on Swatch. These aren't meant to be a serious watch like an Omega or Ball. These watches are designed to be fun and a secondary or tertiary watch in your collection. They are supposed to be fun and disposable. This way if you scratch it up or break it, its not a big deal.
Exactly!!!!!
... and I've had 4 or 5 Swatches, already. And every single one's strap and buckle is highly flimsy. They crack and break in just months - if you're lucky.
$85 isn't disposable 😭
I’ve become not a big fan of swatch after realizing that a.) when I shell out money, I want to make and keep it mine and b.) I think swatch deserves a lot more criticism for basically creating a product that’ll directly contribute to pollution.
Not a big deal? Some of these swatches are 2x the price of cheap casio watch. And the casio ones are made of metal!
A "gimmick" that's lasted almost 40 years. That's some gimmick!
Kevin Haynes does the strap last?
Because it is Swiss gimmick, high quality long lasting craft!
23 years and still running
Swiss name stamp baby 😆
They were DW before DW was a thing...
Someone should have actually read the history before reviewing and calling out several points in the review that are hallmarks of the brand...being a "throw away", being loud (it was marketed as the watch that ticks since day one), that it's intended to be a fun whimsical watch...
I completely agree with you. People tend to speak in an educated manor, about things they know absolutely nothing about.
I just LOVE hearing my Swatch tick. It’s very soothing and feels old school in the beat way.
I really don’t understand why people hate hearing watches tick so much. It’s really rather delightful when it’s not super loud, which my swatch certainly isn’t
I swear the entire reason UA-cam got rid of dislikes was for Ben's Watch Club exclusively. This was one of Ben's most disliked videos before the change.
As it should be
I like how he only hearted the few comments that agreed with him
@@iy42 just like how everyone else uses it? Yeah, so weird
@@dimitrijekrstic7567 sure, but it's a bit more obvious when they're so far down
lol glad i wasn't the only one
I had a swatch in the mid 80’s when they where all the rage. Wish I looked after it as they now sell for a few quid! I still have 3 from the 90’s my wife bought me. Still work fine, still wear them occasionally and will never sell them.
Agree you just had to be there at the time it was a thing of the the era. It's not ment to be understood it was just the thing to have as a kid. Or a digital watch that the alarm played the yellow rose of texas. The young today over think it to much. Swatch was the original fashion brand when that was not even a thing. P. S don't sell them ever is still have 3 any my sister has the original all black with the diamond at twelve position in its original box from 1983.and its worth a lot now.
@@greamepenney5947 lol the young today love casio watches. Some products' value prop is plain to see, no matter how long they have been around. With Swatch, 'you had to be there' is not a good modern day selling point. I like that they are fun and pay attention to the neglected womens market. but they look quite cheap and gimmicky to me a lot f the time.
Starting to doubt you know watches. Complaining that it’s made of plastic, do you even know what a swatch is?
Overpriced "bioceramic" watches that cost 400 eur
You are turning into Jesse Pinkman
Lol I fell off my chair laughing
I think he'd look better with a bit of a stubble. Tho, he's from UK right? Stubbles aren't their thing
@@MammothBehemoth i dont think he can grow a beard
@@MammothBehemoth why do you think the UK doesn't like stubble?
@@robbiecale3327 I always had that impression they prefer a 'proper' shave. Referencing only from shows, and a couple guys I met. I could be wrong if you're from UK and would tell me otherwise
Good points, the plastic ones do feel a bit toy-ish but for me personally it's part of the charm. A bit like wearing a Rolex with Mickey Mouse on it.
Totally not the same 😂😂
@@multipl3 Read where I said: "its the same". Nowhere..
I like your take, "a Rolex with Mickey Mouse on it". I like to interject mine: A Mickey mouse 🐀 Rolex!
Love swatches, wear one often. Unpretentious and fun, tells time too. What more does one want?
Apparently a 6 - 10K watch you can show off at your meetings. Meh.
COMPLETELY missing the point of a Swatch watch.
Yeah I’ve always felt like they were a great choice for when you want a design peice on your wrist rather than paying 300 and up for a “nice” watch
🗑 🚮
Nah, swatch missing the point FIRST with the price
Some people actually want a quality plastic watch. The variety of colours and designs make them awesome. They were released to be something completely unique and they still are. Swatch watches have often been a introduction into watch collecting and a entry point into swiss watches.
Swatch watches are supposed to be fun, that was the whole point of the « second watch » in the first place. They may be just a gimmick and that’s just fine. You don’t need tons of stainless steel black or white dial bracelet watches that, to be honest, are a bit boring since the design hasn’t changed a lot in the past 50 or even more years. Swatch is cool! Thank you Nicolas G. Hayek, forever...
"The watch looks toy like"
That's the point
I find that the colorful ones are great pieces to accompany a colorful fit.
I've got a swatch and use it specifically for cycling. It's great for sports. I wouldn't want to destroy any of my leather straps with sweat, but with swatch it doesn't matter. The silicone strap and plastic body makes it perfect for cycling, running and other sports where your arms and wrists get significantly sweaty.
True, but you can get a casio to d that for less that £30, so there are better options for that job, cheaper as well.
@@jh565bb yes but are any of them styled like a swatch?
@@AidanRampair No but they are far superior and you wont spend stupid amounts of money on them, those watches are in G shock territory at the moment lol.
@@jh565bb yeah but people font buy a swatch for that. I have cheap casios (a DBC-611, an a700, a MTP) and a swatch Nine to Six. I wear the others more often and they're comparably built despite the swatch costing the price of two of them, but the swatch is one hell of a party piece.
@@AidanRampair They can be, it's just silly how made people went over these.
Lol. Straight outta the gates we address the elephant in the room: lockdown buzz cut 😂
My two cents:
The plastic used for the swatch watches is more a design element than a matter of cost cutting.
And in terms of the buckles. I broke a few up to now. All of them were replaced in the swatch shop fror free, without any showing a receipt or a single word about warranty.
Really? They replaced it for you for free? Is that one branch thing or all swatch thing!?
BigBoi Ganiga yes they exchanged it for free. I believe that’s company policy, but I‘m not sure about that.
To be honest, parts like those buckles are fairly cheap.
Well, not in Indonesia. But its indeed a good business practice. For one, they kind of force you to visit their store, and wait for a bit for them to replace the buckle. Meanwhile you might attracted to buy a new one.
It's one of the few watch companies that aren't trying to be something they're not
I consider myself someone interested in watches, but not a collector. I've worn the same Swatch every day for about 15 years and I love it. It tells the time and date and nothing more. I like what it communicates about me: it's unassuming, no-frills, not trying to make a statement about status, and not a smartwatch.
Ben did touch on some things I don't like: it's loud enough to hear across a quiet room, and the plastic buckles fail pretty regularly, like every couple of years so I have to replace the straps a lot. But I'm still looking forward to the next 15 years.
I loved these watches as a teenager and so did my girlfriend. This was the 80's. Now I'm 52 years old and my wife is 51. We just ordered 1 for her and I got me one also. She still has the one she wore in the 80's. I guess I lost all of mine so I'm starting my collection again. Not to sell but to enjoy.
I have been wearing the same Irony Chrono since 1997. Good fitting, good quality straps are still available and battery changes are easy. I still love the designs of the swatches on sale now and they can be very durable if you take care of them. I think they deserve a lot more credit for creating cool designs and a good price/performance. Especially if you take into account the great variety of straps available for the models long term.
i wear the same watch - the construction of the case makes me happy- hard to get me to go to a model with a screw on back now
You just don't get it you have to have been around when swatches first came out. There was nothing like a swatch and owning a Swiss watch for £19.99 as a 80s kid was something special. You are just not old enough to get it.
I remember the "Swatch Counter" in the jewelry section of the department stores during the mid 80's. They were so colorful and "hip", especially surrounded by older, more traditional brands. I also remember that the ladies' line had watches that smelled like strawberries, grapes and other fruits depending on the color of the watch. Pretty cool!!!👍✌
The nostalgia is indisputable
@@marsoelflaco5722 I remember those counters well. Dillard's had one, as well as J C Penney. I would buy a Swatch or 2 every other payday, as well as the guards and straps. And they'd replace batteries, straps, and buckles for free. (Jan Griffiths).
I am an eighties kid who is now in my forties and and I am a huge fan of swatch. one of my favorite Christmas memories was receiving a swatch when I was about 12. They are Swiss made and really affordable that's part of the charm. I really like the abstract ones that show the gears inside. I know it's not the world's most expensive watch but wearing one in 2022 makes me nostalgic for my childhood
I’ve owned a few Swatches.
Biggest pros: I like the almost imperceptible weight on the wrist and they do keep perfect time for years on one battery.
Biggest con: exactly what you posted out about the unique band attachment configuration. I would love to put a Swatch on a perlon or elastic single pass nato-style band (which would, IMO, make the ultimate minimalist watch).
agreed, even though I appreciate the profile, replacing a strap for a discontinued model or trying something different like metal or nato are very limited.
robert H Given the explosion in nato & cloth/elastic band popularity in the last 10 years, you’d think they’d make their own natos with those Swatch case attachments. I do, however, see that some of their Scuba watches have cloth bands.
Hello, please do not get offended by my comment, it is not intended,
1- The materials use by swatch are not really "regular plastic", it is a mix of mineral and bio- polymer from plants base oil.(it's not cheap).
2- Irony Swatch can by open (you just have to know how) there are instructions available from old swiss watch repair school.
3- I still have my Barcelona '92 swatch., with 20+.others...swatch are not for every one,....lol
I own a few luxury watches, but I wear a Swatch sometimes. Just like me back in eighties as a kid, my kids have gotten into watches thanks to Swatch. As for build quality, they are mostly poor. However when my son was younger and would bust up his Flik Flak watch (kids Swatch), the store never gave us any problems and fixed it for free on the spot. These watches are made to be your 2nd or 3rd beater watch.
I generally love Swatch watches. When I first bought one ( was on a business trip and needed something less casual ) I thought the watch was flimsy and too light. I few weeks later the Swatch was basically my everyday watch. It fits perfectly and is accurate. The only downside is the loud mechanism but this only comes as a problem on the plastic ( bio sourced ) watches. Even the first Swatch I bought still holds up pretty nicely.
I had a small retail and repair shop about 35 years ago. An Army guy comes in and wants an affordable watch that won’t break ! I sold him a swatch, changed the band colour more to his liking and told him if this watch lets him down I will replace it. 3 months later he’s back, with his army mates, all wanting a swatch watch. He explained that this was the only watch that accepted the punishment of his career, and was great value for money. 12 months later he is back with more of his army mates, his watch was looking pretty battered. I offered to polish the glass and the plastic case, checked the battery and the hasp seal and all was good. My point being, how good are swatch watches ? Just ask these guys. They just kept coming back for more ! Long live the Swatch Watch !
I used to wear Swatch back in the late 80's. I had 2 of them which had face guards. I recently ordered a custom made one currently on it's way in the mail. I love the look and diverse aesthetic. It also brings back nostalgia. Swatches are definitely one of a kind. I have to disagree with your review, but to each their own. They must be doing something right to stay in business this long.
I remember when they went from the linear face guards that went straight across the crystal -- the thin plastic bands that looped over either wrist band and stretched across the face -- to the more rigid circular ones that snapped onto the case and went around the circumference of the face. People would also twist two of those face bands around each other for a candy-cane look. I'd like to see them bring either back!
@@vigorousera I remember some would wear two Swatches at once. Used to wear them with a bevy of bracelets (friendship bracelets, bangle bracelets, plastic bracelets, etc....)
I have a 1st gen swatch chrono which I bought in 1992 it was considered quite stylish back then what I will say is the chrono movement is good for the type of watch it is,having fly back hands and a full 12 hour function,at the time you would have found it hard to get an affordable analogue chrono of any kind.
By 1984 nobody wanted to be seen dead with a Casio Digital or mechanical watches. Swatch was the only watch for the young and cool kids. It saved the Swiss watch industry. It was the Apple watch of it's time.
I've only owned one swatch, back in the 80's it was navy blue with a white face. As a nurse/carer who couldn't afford a fob watch at the time it was easy & effortless to wear. I liked it a lot. They have their place.
I have two Swatch watches. Stainless ones. Really love them and wear them on a regular basis. The timekeeping is amazing. Irony Chronograph is very quiet. I prefer Swatch over Casio.
I agree with some of your viewers...you miss the point of Swatch watches. These watches were all the rage when I was in school. I begged my parents for one. They are supposed to be kind of cheesy and cheap. It's a retro thing. I recently bid and won a Puzzle movement Swatch. Paid $80 and as a avid watch lover..it is one of the coolest in my collection!
When you were vorn in the 1970s, you probably grew up with Swatch watches. So I still like them. Und the movements still work fine after 30 years.
swatch was definitely the first brand that got me into watches, and as a kid I would always look forward to going to the store and their fun designs. I still have mine from then, and looking back they are still running and in great condition! The quality is there, but i feel like it's hard to make then suitable for older people. With the plastic and colors they don't fit well with what I wear and are a little too childish. Fun and great watches, but I wouldn't wear them now.
They’re too expensive for what they are :( They have cool designs though but 100% agree that they have to provide more value in order to compete with lower priced Chinese produced watches.
To add, I was able to order non-branded straps for swatch for $3. It just gets confusing because the sizing is based on lug width rather than the wider strap width.
not to mention they are not serviceable, which is a huge con if these watches are as unreliable as they are. i had 2 models and i considered them as more like a fashion statement, fun watches. but casio destroys them.
I can’t bring myself to pay Seiko money for something of lower quality than a Timex.
Good report, Ben. I have two original gents models (34mm) and one of the original automatics, which I treasure as it was a leaving gift from my colleagues. I understand your points, of course, but I generally use mine for holidays, especially in hot climates or on the beach. That's where they score best, being incredibly lightweight and comfortable and the colours come to life in sunny climates. Plus it is so easy to rinse them under a running tap. The Automatic version always attracts compliments and these can be serviced, admittedly with some difficulty, unlike the System 51 which is sealed. Lastly, the intermediate lugs are, indeed, designed for strengthening the integrity of the case-strap connection but with push-pin fixings, it's so easy to change to a whole range of watch bands on offer, plenty to choose from and most at reasonable prices. I love my Swatches, but they do have a place in the market and add a little fun to an industry that takes itself too seriously at times.
You don’t like it because you are holding it to the standards of a real proper watch. These are fun beater watches.
I bought a 34mm unisex plastic swatch when I started working at a brewery. Keeping time is important while brewing and I wanted something that wouldn’t break my heart if I bashed or submerged it. It does feel a bit “cheap”, but it works well. So noisy I keep it in the bathroom at night, though!
They’re perfect for all of us that just don’t want a huge Emporio Armani logo on our watch to flaunt our money. A simple Swatch watch with black leather strap is the best to me.
Hm..bad comparison. There are cheaper alternatives than a Swatch. For me they are like the "Apple" among the watches. You buy it because of the clean, uniqe design not because it's so much cheaper than a noname watch. It's not about luxury and showing off wealth but It's indeed also a lifestyle brand.
I bought my first Swatch, a GK100 ‘Jellyfish’ in 1985. Still have it. They were hugely cool back in the day.
I still like Swatches, but must admit, I prefer the vintage models, especially the launch range (still have one from ‘83, and another from ‘87). Classic black and white model with a date is a nice thing to have.
I think you perhaps miss the point of Swatch watches - Second watch! =) They're meant to be cheap, plasticy and of the wall with with their designs. It's not meant as an everyday piece that will stand the test of time, it's meant as something fun and cheap that you can collect and sometimes wear just for the fun of it. I don't know that many people who actually wears Swatch watches (at least not on a regular basis) but I do now several people (myself included) who have a couple of Swatches that they love. I got a clear translucent one that I pop on occasionally in the summer for some fun, and a MOMA limited edition one with Van Gogh's Starry Night motif that never comes out of the box. I love them both and probably will get more of them in the future.
so you judge a whole brand over the cheap watches you buy?
anyways in my opinion Swatch makes some of the best Quartz watches specially their more high end pieces
To be honest the Miyotas wipe the floor with Swiss quartz movements in terms of price/performance and IF I'm going for a "nicer" affordable quartz movement I'd go with a Seiko VH.
I have a collection of 48 Swatch watches I've had since the 80s. I like Memphis Milano design, and quite a few Swatch watches fit the bill. I bought every one of those I could find, and I have one of the first ones---Technosphere---pink hour hand, white lightning bolt minute hand, green seconds hand, and neon green ring around the dial. It is a skeleton watch, and still runs perfectly. All of mine do run, and I wear a different one every couple of days. I have a custom made automatic Irony, and one chrono---Pagnini. They are kept in the safe with my guns. (Jan Griffiths).
Awesome!!!
A lot of batteries there
@@fredsf1 Actually, I have 2 batteries that I use. My watches are stored without them. I only use the batteries in the ones I'm going to wear. I change watches frequently. (Jan Griffiths).
Although their watches do have a jarring design, they still have a certain charm to them.
If you want to go cheap on a watch you're basically left to SWATCH only because you get quality. I just bought an 80's SWATCH I used to own (My first one), runs just fine.
I don't about that, seiko, citizen, casio all do very nice affordable watches, id even say brands like sekonda, timex and lorus, make some excellent options for that low price point. Im wearing a 70s citizen 21 jewel day/date at the moment, doesn't miss a beat, id recommend looking into them if you are looking to add to your collection.
A swatch is not a good omega, but that’s not the point. Ask Federico why he keeps his system 51 in his collection next to literally tens of thousands of dollars worth of premium timepieces. Swatches are only bad watches if you judge them like you would a Hamilton or something. They are actually quite good if you understand the market and niche they are supposed to fill.
It’s funny because those are also swatch brands too
@@as-fo7ff Right. And a Bugatti is a Porsche is a Volkwagen.
C‘mon dude, I‘d say that Swatch is actually xtimes better und more „valuable“ in kind of quality than EVERY fashion watch brand like MVMT or other sh*ts... Swatch is really famous of course especially in Switzerland where I‘m from and I‘d prefer a Swatch over every other cheap fashion watches.
It's relatively easy for schools and universities to collaborate with Swatch to make customized limited edition watches. My high school did that a few years back...inevitably the older alumni got Seiko to make a custom Ice Monster which sold way better :)
I'm 51 and bought Swatch quartz chronograph couple of years ago. For me it was some of my teenage dreams to come true. Colourfull, vivid and... quartz 😎. At the time when swatch just entered the market with 'affordable' watches I could... not afford one. I have it now dough and it serves me well for last couple of years being used as casual watch that goes well with a certain type of clothing.
I had 2 pop swatches in the early 90’s and a nice looking blue translucent divers watch which promptly corroded when I went into the sea with it 🤣 I’m surprised the pop variety didn’t remain popular as you could easily customise the set up.
I'm local to you & I wear Swatches regularly, although I don't see many others I admit, they're a bit of fun when you aren't taking your watches too seriously. I have a fliegermus & a bright orange chrono which almost keeps up with my Bulova Accutron for accuracy at about +1spm. I paid about £20 each from the bay of E.
I just think swatch watches are a bit too expensive considering the specs.
I totally agree with you, Swatch could do so much better, if they would put a bit more effort in their watches.
I don't agree I think their System 51 watches are a good everyday watch and the other ones are perfect second / occasion / fun watches
Hi, i am form india. I am using swatch irony 4 jewel v8 since 2008. I purchased this watch after listening that swiss watches are reliable like japanese for ic engine, and still after 12 years of daily usage this watch is working perfectly fine. I really love it's durability, reliability and efficiency. I remember yesterday i replace the battery of this watch is 4th time in 12 year.
I own a Swatch Irony Windfall . And its really good . Its been ticking for like 6 years without any problem . Changed the battery once . It looks good , fits my wrist , its swiss made , has a chronograph , and its absolutely a bang for the buck .
Highly recommended .
Good god bald Ben Arthur never gonna be erase from my memory.
How's the r32?
I had a box of them, and generally think of them as a bit of fun, the second watch they were supposed to be, maybe a summer watch. The colours are vibrant. I suspect that they aren’t meant to be taken too seriously…
honestly the childlike vibe of swatch watches is sort of the point. they're supposed to be colorful and cool land collectible like the adult version of action figures. of course this isn't to everyone's taste but they do offer metal watches for people looking for something more "normal' but I feel like the point of swatch is that they offer something different from the hundreds of divers and dress watches available. plus, you can't really make a transplant green watch out of stainless steel, y'know
All my swatches were bullet proof. I have been a dishwasher, mechanic, welder,zookeeper, carpenter, and a farmer. Other brands with the exception of Swiss army last one day to a month on my wrist. Swatch from 1984 to present will do three years of hard time on my wrist before water proofing fails to sweat and corrosion. But then nobody watching this gives two shits about tough man watches. But if you want chemical, impact, sand, dirt, manure, heat and cold, resistance swatch is your brand.
For one thing, you could argue that without that little plastic watch there would be no more Omega, Hamilton or Tissot. They really saved the Swiss' bacon back during the quartz-crisis.
I've been wearing Swatch since the late 80s. What I will say is that they are tougher than they look. I just had to throw away a beautiful, blue dial "Irony"-chrono an ex-GF gave me for Christmas ca 1997. That thing had been on my wrist nearly every day until 2015 or so and had always been running. So around 20 years of service .. not bad for a "throwaway"-item. Some of the plastic gears driving the hands must've cracked or worn out. Only later did I find out that there are people out there who can and will repair Swatches. Which is what I would've opted for just to be able to keep that thing.
I've also used all of them, not just the two Scuba-models I've owned, near, in and under water. None of them ever suffered damage from that abuse they aren't really meant for. Yeah... I didn't know what "30m WR" actually means ... ;)
omega hamilton tissot blancpain rado mido longines breguet will be here
"30m WR" is stand for 30 meter water resistant
@@blackbonestudio6189 Not really. It's 3 atmospheres/30m, but that doesn't mean you can take such a watch down to 30 meters and expect it to survive. A depth-rating of "30 meters" basically means "ok to get wet on occasion" - like washing your hands or getting caught in the rain. 30m rated watches are definitely not meant for swimming, let alone for diving. AFAIK, the only watches where the depth rating in meters actually means you can safely take it to that depth are ones that are also labeled as "Diver's" or "Diver". Like some Seiko Prospex models that will say "200m" and "Diver's" on the dial. And most of this stuff doesn't matter anyway... not even to professional divers. 200m dive-depth isn't just deadly to lots of watches, but to humans as well. You really need highly specialized equipment to go anywhere near that depth - max depth for experienced recreational SCUBA-divers is 130 ft/40m.
Gotta remember that when you actually swim/dive with a watch on your wrist, the pressure of the water pushing against the watch might get rather higher than the actual depth you're at - because by moving your hand through the water, the water pushes harder on the watch than if it simply sat still at half a meter or a meter of depth. Personally, and knowing what I know now, I'd only take watches that are rated at least at 5ATM/50m or probably even 10 ATM/100m to go swimming. Still: I do maintain that none of my 30m Swatch-watches ever suffered any damage from taking them into the pool/ocean - but perhaps I just got lucky.
I think they're great as a casual piece that you don't have to worry about. They are definitely over priced though. The worst thing is the lack of water resistance. I would probably wear one on holiday instead of my Omega or Oris if they had a decent, say 100mtr water resistance. Yeah, the loudest movement in the world!
Swatch brand watches in my country ranged at about 60-90 USD. That's why I never look at swatch watches. But gotta admit tho, they really make some good looking watches.
I have four (4) Swatch watches. They are cheap and last forever, only the rubber (now silicon) strap disintegrates before the watch stops running.
@@manoman0 yeah, but in my currency, 90 USD is pretty expensive. I got my first automatic watch with Seiko NH35 movement for 90 bucks also.
If i would get a cheap watch for fun, i'll just buy a Casio tbh.
@@kleanovodust-bin69 Man, Casio, I swear, I love them. Most of them. The NH35 is not that good a movement, really. It's ok. Not good. But yeah, 90 bucks, I admit, not an everyday expense. Did you see the latest swatches? Those ceramic NASA ones? Ohhhhhhh.....
These watches are fun and definitely have a following. They are what they are, affordable fun watches that can be collectables. I have owned 3 and they were all reliable. My current one (a jelly) gets noticed more then any other watch I have. I'll always have a Swatch in my collection
I used to have a few of those plastic models as a kid. My biggest gripe about them is how easily those plastic buckle pins snap.
You are missing the point, getting a Swiss watches for so cheap is great. Don't get me wrong I love Casio but the fact that the swatch watches are so colorful and so many varieties also that these watches are just so light on your hand and it's just so convenient in hotter places makes it better.
Swatch is about colours, patterns, design connected to the likes of Keith Haring, street art, graffiti, modern art, the 80's and the '90's Many different designs, cheap to buy and you can wear many models at once, a different one with your outfits or a different one fitting the season. Some Swatches are collectable and the movement is reliable. If you wear them frequently they will be worn after some years. But you know this beforehand. Plus, if you buy higher end quartz watches and the battery needs to be replaced, chances are big they also will replace the whole movement in stead of just the battery.
I think the point that the aesthetic choices are kind of questionable is valid. However, swatch watches are not meant to be a main watch. The name literally is taken from the words "second watch". They're all sealed and are actually meant to be on a lower price point so of they stop working, you toss it and pick another one up. I think they're market is less serious and more, fun, beater timepieces and they capture that segment pretty well, if they're sales figures are to be believed.
I do get the sentiment though. It's why I've only just bought a swatch recently and it was a discontinued Irony model.
After twenty five years and several bands later, I still have my Swatch, which runs perfectly well. I don't understand your attitude. I lived in Switzerland for several years and many Swiss had their Swatches in full display on their wrists. I don't see a big rush to agree with you here looking at the comments below.
Does anyone remember the protective stuff you could get for the swatch? Like. . You could buy this strip of rubber (Jellies?) that looped on one band across the face of the watch looped onto the other band? Another one was a hard plastic exoskeleton thing going on.
I have a swatch I bought in 2001, still working perfect. Replacing battery every 4 years or so FOR FREE at any swatch store around the world. The summary cost of battery replacement went over the price of the watch itself I think. I have 4 swatches never serviced them because they never failed, even tho I swim in the ocean with them. When I bought my first swatch I didn't expect much but after 20 years I have no complaints. So no... they are not meh
Thank you! I could buy other watches, but why? I love my Swatches. Every time I look at my wrist, it brightens my day.
I don't know anybody that owns a Swatch watch that being said I own a titanium Mido ocean star iv that's owned by the Swatch brand but never seen any swatches out there. Great video
I think it' nostalgic. In 1985 it was all the rage and the eight year old me wanted one so badly and when I received one with a guard for my communion LOL I was the happiest. So as an adult, I had to.
I came here thinking I would watch this video and realize Swatch are junk. However I left this video thinking "that white dial watch in the video with the steel case looks pretty sharp, maybe I need to research and buy it"
I recommend, you get back to crystal cooking! As many have mentioned before, you absolutely don´t get the point about Swatches.
I'm enjoying these videos. Keep up the good work, man!
I really enjoy the Colaborations with artist and brands! And the overall build quality is pretty good for the price
I am a 51 year old guy and just recently, I bought a Swatch Big Bold Jellyfish. While most will think I am too old for that kind of watch but I bought it because I want to. A great part of my life during the late 80's to early 90's was spent on wearing Swatch watches, sort of a mini collection until it got stolen. The Big Bold Jellyfish is the closest thing to the Swatch Jellyfish (released in 1983) I once had. And I love the way people stare and then ask "What's that watch you're wearing?"
The colorful plastic Swatch watches are some of the best for kids and teenagers especially, they seem to look great on them and they are cheap enough to just dont care about what you do with them, just wear it and have fun. I bought my first swatch watch actually not so long ago the swatch power of nature by bonfire. It was the first Swatch watch that actually grabbed my attention i payed 250 USD for it, i am very satisfied with it, looks so great and has a very rugged military/sporty look. It has been my daily for a while now. 😊
The thing with the plastic case is that, back in the time, it was the only way to make watches fully automated. The case itself is part of the movement thus reducing the parts needed to build the watch but it also makes the watch louder. Everything is put into the plastic housing and the top part is then ultrasonic welded. Simple to do with robots even in the 80’s. Of course, technology has moved on however nowadays the plastic case is already some sort of a design element. Could they make it in a different way? Yes, absolutely. But is it then still a „Swatch“? I doubt it.
Hi,I recently got interested,a friend gave me a plastic automatic from 1993, really enjoyed it, started collecting, finding for cheap, then got a system 51 in plastic,love it,and they make my Seiko seem even cooler
You've missed the point of Swatch. They are fun, affordable, and they last! I have a few. Their designs can be worn in the office; others for a fun weekend; and some in between.
The more expensive irony chronos are actually pretty nice watches. I have a Night Flight which takes a lot of design cue's from the speedmaster but with it's own character. It feels like a decent quality watch, nicely finished with an ETA movement found in Tissot, Victorinox etc. I managed to get it as an Amazon return for £75 but would still be happy paying full rrp of £160.
I still have my original pop swatch watches from 1988 to 1991. Swatch defo last and I still wear all mine daily. I find the designs fun from the usual boring plain watches.
I have been wearing the same swatch every day for the last 4 Years and mine has not broken and iff you take it back to the shop they will replace the batteries for free.
Im not particularly careful, I take it in to salt water and i go swimming with it the whole time.
It is very durable and you dont need to worry about the plastic as i did as well beecause it holds just fine.
I have the metal watch Swatch that you have in the video. It's the Swatch Appia model and it originally comes with a leather strap. I have also encountered a couple of other metal Swatch watches and none of them had a loud movement.
I’m a collector of watches. Swatch is one of them. I have 86 to be exact. My earliest model is “Chronotech” from 1984. It still works. I have quite a few 80’s models as those are more nostalgic to me. I bought my first Swatch in 1985 when they were all the rage. They were never meant to be known as high quality watches, but in my opinion they are. Every single Swatch I own still runs and keeps good time. As far as the lugs, that’s part of the design that makes Swatch iconic. Like the design or not, that’s one feature that lets you know right away that it’s a Swatch. People can say they are a cheap plastic toy watch, and that’s fine. It’s the same watch that helped save the Swiss watch industry. There is a huge collectors base for them and some of the older models can go for a lot of money. I think Swatch should be given more credit. They may not be for everyone (possibly new generations) for for those of us children of the 80’s, we get it. We were the generation that wore two or three of them at one time. They were the original fashion statement watch.
Everything you stated is spot on. As a Gen Xer, I still remember my first Swatch (banana scented!). I now have three 41mm gents and alternate them daily. I have other watches, but there’s something so fun about Swatch. I sometimes just stare at them, I love them so. 🙂