A Little Swatch Rant

Unfortunately this is the way many products are headed. For example computers and other electronics. Heck even cars are head more to replace systems vs repair.

Oh, man, if you hate this, you'd loathe the Sistem51 watches they make. Automatic movement that's completely sealed in. Runs a bit off from the factory? Ah, well, it's just like that forever. Stops ticking? Well, it's dead. Of course, it's also made entirely by robots in conditions that should ensure a clean space and working for years, but... yeah, that doesn't always work out. Plenty of people report their Sistem51 watches have just stopped working. Dead forever. Still, then you can get creative with it, maybe try to carve it open to fix or turn into something else. In fact, that brings me to the other Swatches themselves.

I've seen keychains made out of broken Swatches. Some people just keep them, even broken. I feel like more quartz watches under $150 just end up in the trash when they die, regardless of their back. How many people are going to look it up and buy a new movement to install? But you (and other watch enthusiasts) will want an option.

I can't say failure is common for Swatch watches though, in part because they are sealed. It's really unlikely anything would get in them. As it is, they're only "water resistant" (with no mention of amount), but that's largely due to cost saving. Getting your watches tested for water resistance is more expensive than simply not doing that testing. Most of these sealed cases are much better than their "water resistant" rating would claim. Plus, the crystal, with the exception of these bio-based ones (ironic), is super easy to polish to "like new."

The Swatch has always had this sort of, "This is your beater watch" idea to it, but then it became popular, fun, collectable. I couldn't imagine treating mine like beaters, I love them too much. Plus, now they're working towards ditching the petroleum-based plastics. That's great too. The boxes they come in are completely recyclable. Unfortunately, that's more than I can say of most brands of... anything. God, I cringe when I get anything in disposable plastic containers. I don't know why we're still doing that.

Anyway, back to Swatch. These aren't as disposable as you think. Hop on Ebay or Etsy and you'll find loads of Swatches from the 80's still ticking and available for sale. A quick polish and they're ready to go. They don't often gain value, except for specific models, but they do hold on to their value surprisingly well if you keep them in good condition or replace the strap. I feel like they wouldn't if people exposed their entire movement every time they wanted to swap the battery. I don't have the study or math to prove it, but it seems like it contributes to their longevity. I guess I don't see it as a problem because that sealed body means it likely will work for a very long time, longer than most plastic goods. As long as something's going to be made out of plastic, I want it to last forever, and sealing them up might be the best way to do that.

Thanks for your input! I acknowledge and totally appreciate the positives when it comes to Swatch. I’m not trashing the products themselves, but the likely cost-saving, inherently disposable, and generally anti-consumer design choices.

I wouldn’t say, as some do, that Swatches are total crap. They’re far from it. But they’re made to be treated like they are. In one sense, that’s part of their history and certainly part of their charm, but I don’t think that’s enough of an excuse for the Swatch of today. They’re certainly capable of doing better, and I think they should.

What I'm saying is: what if by sealing off the movement they actually make them more durable? Because that was the point of sealing them off.

That’s a good point. In that case, it’s about the same as Apple and other smartphone manufacturers gluing our phones together (and making both sides out of glass). Yes they generally work and hold up very well (if you use a case), but if/when something does go wrong, it’s far more difficult to repair them. It’s a tradeoff.

Yeah, and I don't have the numbers to say if it really does reduce or increase waste. That said, I do air on the side of being suspicious of any corporation. I mean, does Swatch want to start a repair program? Pretty easy to say you don't have one when your watches can't be repaired and when they're sealed so few, if any, of the usual culprits of damage can access it.

I just wouldn't jump to the conclusion that it's anti-consumer. The things last decades and part of their pricing and durability comes down to this singular design choice. Plus, using bio-sourced materials and recyclable boxes is definitely a step in the right direction, environmentally.

At least one of the origin stories of Swatch is that it was to be people's "Second Watch," the one you would wear to the beach when you were worried about sand messing up your expensive timepiece. It was sealed off to prevent such intrusions. Maybe the real reason was just to save money on repairs and keep costs down? I mean, it was the 80's. Unbridled capitalism at the expense of everyone else was the theme of the decade. But I feel like the number of people who would throw out a "broken" quartz watch instead of buying a new movement is higher than those who would even have to make that choice with a Swatch. Again, no data to back that up, so, really, who knows if it's better or worse for the environment and the user?

At the end of the day, if you don't feel like it's right for you, then you're right. It's your wrist, whatever you choose for it is the right choice. Choosing to just stay away from plastic in general is definitely a valid decision, and, really, I think we'd all be better off if more people did choose that.

That's gotta be my main reason for not getting the sistem51 Swatch, even if I really like the artworks. An unserviceable auto? Are they kidding me?