![]() ![]() Through a series of mergers, ETA has become the largest manufacturer of Swiss watch movements and controls a virtual monopoly over their production and supply. Though ETA was founded by Eterna in 1856 some part of its production line can be traced back to the 1793 founding of Fabriques d’Horlogerie de Fontainemelon (FHF) by David Benguerel, Isaac Benguerel, François Humbert-Droz and Julien Humbert-Droz. Commonly referred to as ETA, the company is headquartered in Grenchen, Switzerland, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Swatch Group. You’ll get more for your money and won’t have to throw it in the trash when it stops working.Valjoux 7750 movement and ETA 2892 movementĮTA SA Manufacture Horlogère Suisse ( ETA SA Swiss Watch Manufacturer) designs and manufactures quartz watches and both hand-wound and automatic-winding mechanical ébauches and movements. The Swatch Sistem51 is only fun for 5 minutes, and the world doesn’t need another disposable plastic product to add to the long list of garbage that will outlast our generations on this Earth. It’s probably the most fragile modern watch ever made. It’s the worst mechanical watch ever made if you think about its longevity and repairability. The photos you see are of my second Swatch Sistem51, given to me in exchange for the one I sent in for repair: the one I had put through my cardio training late in the evenings, that had scratches from Sunday DIY sessions, that had seen my son grow from baby to child… Is this the best innovations the Swiss watch industry can come up with in the 21st century? A plastic disposable automatic watch that is less durable than any basic supermarket quartz watch? It’s one of the worst watches ever made considering environmental impact. When you will send your watch in for repair, under warranty or not, they don’t bother swapping the movement: they just send you a brand new identical watch. And you can’t get a buckle without buying the strap that comes with it. During that time you will probably have changed the bracelet at least once because the buckle broke (life in plastic, it’s fantastic…). Either it won’t keep time, or stop frequently, or it will just stop working. Let’s be honest: in less than 3 years this watch will not be working properly anymore. So how could this appealing low budget swiss automatic watch be the worst watch ever made? I will put it simply: it goes against all the great things that make us love mechanical watches, and it brings with it all the bad things that mass consumption and the quartz crisis have brought us. What a bargain considering the amount of technology and innovation this watch represents! The watch is priced at around 145-210 euros depending on the model that catches your eye. There are various Sistem51 to choose from, with lots of color combinations and special editions. You will hear the ticking and rotations of the rotor VERY loudly. The rotor spins with madness at every movement and is very noisy. It’s very different to most of the watches that you will come across on the market. It comes on a black leather strap with a plastic buckle. The watch displays time, date, and delivers an impressive 90 hours of power reserve. This alloy is also used in some top end watches and brands like Richard Mille, and has anti-magnetic properties. A see-through case back makes the whole movement visible, with a peripheral rotor and plastic looking parts made of a special alloy called ARCAP. A great number of patents have been filed in order to create these watches, and the Swatch Sistem51 is an emblem of what the Swiss watch industry is capable of doing. It’s a fully robotized chain at ETA that cuts, decorates, assembles and seals the movements. Amazing fact: everything is made and assembled without any human interaction. It is made of 51 parts held together with just one central screw. Housed in a black plastic case with a “constellation map” pattern on the dial, the movement is impressive. Its cheap, efficient design-wise, and very innovative! I really enjoyed it! It was my go-to tool and sports watch. The Swatch Sistem51 was the second mechanical watch I ever bought. The Swatch Sistem51 first came out in 2014 and I have been the owner of the classic black variation since its debut, long before Hodinkee gave it a huge push in popularity with its limited edition. This watch is a piece of crap, and let me explain why. Catchy title, but after experiencing this watch for a long time, it’s the only conclusion I have come to. ![]()
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