by The family-owned Swiss Watch Company has been a friend to the show for a couple of years now. We had the opportunity to meet Stephen and his son Josh at CoutureTime in Las Vegas in 2018, and subsequently did a giveaway of their SWC Diver (along with a “winner” review by @thebrewlou). We have kept in touch ever since, and one year later it’s our pleasure to do a hands on review of their latest design, the SWC Sport.
When I first saw the new SWC Sport I was surprised to see that the dial was quite a departure in design compared to their previous releases, but at the same time it clearly aesthetically belongs to the SWC family. The unique design characteristics of this watch are perfectly composed for a durable, sporty watch. Not only is this watch designed to take a beating, it’s also quite stunning.
When the review piece arrived, unboxing it was a true “wow” moment. I honestly gasped, a bit similar to when I unboxed my mother of pearl Omega Speedmaster. The multiple levels of the SWC Sport dial show off the wide outer ceramic ring under the sapphire crystal. Placing a ceramic ring under the crystal is uncommon – most collectors know of ceramic as a bezel or bracelet insert. This ceramic ring also has a playful circle of flag-like triangles as outer indices. Within the matte finish solid ceramic ring is a field of differing depths of boxes not unlike subway tiles. The colors are pearlescent and compliment the white ceramic as well as the yellow color of the lumed indices, which in the case of the mint dial quartz version are treated with the C3 variant of Super-LumiNova. The finish on the hands and applied indices has a nice mirror-finish polish. The index designs are also very unique to the watch world. They’re based on patterns and themes from the worlds of aviation, automobiles, and high tech and took more than year for SWC to perfect. They’re quite distinct, and I find that they help direct your eyes around the dial and assist in telling the time with just a quick glance. They’re filled with 20 layers of Super-LumiNova which provides for excellent visibility throughout the night.
That brings us to the 41mm case. Normally a 41mm case would look too large on my wrist, but this time I was pleasantly surprised. With only 47mm lug-to-lug, and being only 11.9mm thick, it wears smaller than I expected with the lugs curving gently down to hug the wrist. On the smooth domed bezel we find more high polish. Another facet to this dial is the second time zone sub-dial at six (also lumed) that is easily adjusted by a push button in the side of the case at approximately 4 o’clock. This quartz variant in mint is powered by the robust Rhonda caliber 4210-B. The automatic variant will be powered by the Sellita SW200 movement, and will be offered in several colorways as well (no second time zone on the automatic.)
Let’s talk about accessories – specifically the bracelet and band options. This watch ships with both silicone rubber and soft velcro bands. The silicone band is color-matched to the dial and has a deployant clasp that is easily adjustable, and the decorative stainless button and clasp buckle are both engraved with the SWC logo. I was expecting this band to be too large for my 6 1/4 inch wrist, but once adjusted to a smaller length with the tail tucked under the clasp, it fit comfortably. Trimming the tail to a personal length is also an option.
The second included band is the velcro strap. This style band is a first for me. I have always found Nato style straps to be visually bulky with extra folded tails or distracting metal keepers as well as the strap raising the watch up higher on your wrist due to passing under the case. This strap attaches with a spring bar on the top of the case then passes around your wrist and through a curved spring bar on the bottom of the case. The adjustment options are infinite due to the velcro, enabling it to attach at any place on the soft, spongy strap. As my wrist size changes throughout the day, I found this strap to be the most comfortable, and at times I even forgot I was wearing a watch. The color of the velcro is also a perfect match to the center of the dial and has subtle patterns itself. My only complaint about this watch, and it’s a very minor one, are the two somewhat distracting rows of horizontal contrasting colored threat that go across the top of the velcro fabric near the springbar.
The third (and optional) band for the SWC Sport is a stainless steel bracelet. I was not able to review this bracelet hands on, but it will be an exact size fit for both the quartz and automatic variants, and gives it a look that makes the dial really “pop”. Another unique and very practical feature of the stainless steel bracelet is the ability to make micro adjustments in the clasp. This is something that I treasure in my bracelets because it gives me the option to make adjustments for perfect comfort throughout the day without tools. In many cases it also makes it very easy for Ranch Racer and I to share a watch without lengthy bracelets adjustments or swaps. Add to that the quick release capability on the end links and you have a watch that is beautiful, fun AND easy to wear.
During this pandemic that we’re all living through at the moment, having another watch so visually “delicious” to gaze at on my wrist really brightens my day. The release is coming up very soon, and I’ve enjoyed this hands on review so much that I will be in a virtual “line” to buy the mint green quartz variant for myself! swcusa.com
Vital Stats
- Kickstarter Campaign Info
- Begins August 10th, 2020
- Price for Automatic – $389 (+20 for DLC coating)
- Price for Quartz – $269 (+20 for DLC coating)
- Automatic will be limited to 200 pieces during the initial KS campaign
- CASE
- Material: 316L Stainless steel
- Size: 41 mm
- Thickness: Quartz – 11.9mm, Automatic – 12.3mm
- Crystal: Sapphire with anti-reflective coating
- Case Back: Solid screw-back
- Water Resistance: 10 atm
- Inter-lug Width: 22 mm
- MOVEMENT:
- Selitta SW200 or Rhonda 4210-B
- 28,000 vph – SW200
- Second time zone in Rhonda quartz
- BRACELETS & STRAPS
- Stainless steel with double folding clasp and micro-adjustment
- Color matched silicone rubber strap with deployant clasp
- Color matched nylon with infinitely adjustable velcro closure
