Customer Reviews

Swatch Men's CHRONO AUTOMATIC Watch SVGB400

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As a collector I have always followed Swatch and became a consumer of several of their mechanical models. Years ago I thought it would interesting for Swatch to introduce a mechanical chronogaph but I also figured that such a watch may lie outside the price point that Swatch is known for. When I learned that Swatch finally did make a mechanical chronograph available, let alone at such a reasonable price, I became very interested in acquiring one.

After considering some of the newer models, I went with the all black SVG400B Right Track. What I wasn't immediately aware of, nor did I expect, is that the front crystal is sapphire and really adds a nice look to the watch. Leave it to Swatch to pull off a plastic watch with a sapphire crystal. Aesthetically, it works quite well.

The other Swatch fingerprint on this watch lies in the c01-211 movement developed by the Swatch group as a means to bring about a Swiss chronograph movement at a price well below that of watches with the ubiquitous Valjoux 7750 movement. Though allegedly based on the Lemania 5100 (a movement I have in a significantly much more expensive watch) it bears no resemblance to the 5100, losing the defining central chronograph seconds hand, running at a slower 21600 bph rate, and incorporating a synthetic escapement. That all said, the c01-211 runs quite well and visually more closely resembles the 7750 than the 5100.

Though a watch a serious collector could enjoy and, despite the sapphire treatment typically found only on the higher end, the watch has a playful, toy-like quality to it, in a good way and in the spirit of being a Swatch offering. The chronograph pushers engage with a distinctive clack, owing perhaps to the charming yet plastic nature of the movement and the ticking sound is readily audible. When hand wound, the action is relatively smooth, but again, noticeably audible as compared to a more refined watch. That all said, the movement performs well. My watch runs at approximately +10-15 seconds per day, which is quite acceptable for a mechanical chronograph at this new level of price point.

The chronograph works quite well and elapsed time is relatively easy to read off the nicely sized subdials. One observation of note is that the chronograph hands, even after repeated start/stop operation of the chronograph, line up accurately with the dial markings, as is a trademark of my 5100 based watch. In comparison, other mechanical chronograph movements, e.g. the 7750, will tend to have the hour accumulator drift past the actual hours or fractions of an hour during the course of timing an event with numerous starts and stops. This indicates to me that the c01-211 is not just a movement built to be cost effective, but one of a quality design.

All in all, it was worth the wait for Swatch to offer an automatic chronograph. While sacrificing a bit of readability, the shape and colors of the hands and dial are distinctly Swatch. In the end, Swatch has delivered a very satisfying watch that any Swatch collector or one wanting a more affordable Swiss mechanical chronograph should just jump on. In the Swatch tradition, its a fun watch to own, one destined to become a worthy collectible for the Swatch collector, and a significant milestone in the history of Swatch.

I love this watch. It's very unique since it is the only automatic chronograph of it's kind. The movement is the same movement in some Tissot watches but the style of this watch is very different, probably one of the sportiest automatic chronographs you can get. The case of made of a very hard durable type of plastic which might turn some people off but I've had mine since October and have had no issues with damage or scratches in the case. I actually think it has held up better than watches I have owned with stainless steel cases. The crystal is sapphire which is nice because compared to other Swatches it should be very durable, and the back has a transparent mineral crystal window. The chronograph works very well although the dial only goes up to 6 hours. I've tested the power reserve and it seems to last for about 50 hours or so without wearing it before it stops running. The movement seems to keep very good time. The band is very comfortable, probably one of the nicest leather watch bands I've owned.

Downsides:
It's a bit loud compared to other watches (the ticking is really easy to hear, maybe because of the case, but I actually kind of think that is cool), and the pushers are a bit stiff. Also I think the hands are a bit hard to see in low light, especially the red chronograph hands on a black background. The tip of the minute and hour hands glow in the dark but they don't glow bright enough for me to see very well. Also, I don't think that in general the hands are the easiest to read on any watch that I've owned, but it's really not a big deal to me. The style and value make up for most of the downsides.

Overall this watch is great value, very unique, and the best price you'll ever find on a new automatic chronograph.

After 2 months it is still my favorite watch. I own about 20-30 watches and this one is the one I wear the most. I also have the blue and clear version. But this black on silver still looks better than that. I highly recommend this watch.

Good: nice watch movement considering the price, fun to wear, light weight, good size, sapphire crystal, swiss made.
Bad: quality appears poor even though it might not be, loud ticking from movement, loud winding from movement, for me it is to small as a fun to wear watch, hard to read dials, poor illumination, plastic case... Hmmm, fake leather strap.

Overall this is probably the cheapest automatic chronograph available and if the price and movement are key for you, absolutely a watch to consider.

Other watches i own(so you understand my taste in watches): invicta, hamilton, adee kay, breitling, etc

Phenomenal watch. Especially for the price. $171 for a Swiss automatic chronograph? Are you freaking kidding me? Keeps great time. Everything works perfectly. Nice and light without a cheap feel. Hands down my favorite watch. Highly recommend. No complaints whatsoever.

To get a Swiss automatic chronograph (based on the legendary Lemania 5100) for this price is amazing. Plastic case and some parts are no big deal-this is a bargain. It may not be a rugged everyday watch if that's what you're looking for but it sure fits the bill for a fun, casual timepiece which is stylish and unique. I had to take a star away due to the fact that the dial printing on a couple of prominent numerals was a little sloppy-but only noticeable under a loupe.

Great Automatic Watch, just don't belive in the bad revies about this product looks great and the swiss made eta caliber it's simply awesome

The watch looks very nice. A BIG issue however: you will need to have a significant arm activity in order to activate the automatic engine. It really requires a lot of energy to be loaded - and doesn't last very long once you leave the watch (something like 8 hours). Disapointing (as you have to manually reset the time then).

This is the lowest priced auto chrono on the market, and it shows. I can live with a cheap bracelet and case, but the movement was very poor. The chrono triggers are very punchy and do not give a satisfying click. The chrono mechanism was defective, so that each reset wound back the hour counter by 1 (rather than returning to zero). Terrible watch.