Ninety-one metres and a plastic case
By Tom Hargreaves, Falmouth, Cornwall ยท
Let's not pretend. The Swatch and Blancpain Scuba Fifty Fathoms is a fashion watch with a dive bezel on it. And it's rated to 91 m, which is 300 feet, which is fine for snorkelling and swimming and, honestly, for most recreational dives. But I wouldn't take it below 20 metres.
The case is Swatch's bioceramic, a mix of ceramic and a bio-sourced plastic, 42.3 mm across and 14.4 mm thick. It's light and comfy. Inside is the Sistem51, the Swatch movement made almost entirely by machine, with 90 hours of reserve. Which is a lot, for $400 to $420.
The blue dial looks the part, and it's got the Fifty Fathoms look down. The strap is fabric made from recycled material, which is nice.
The catch is that you can't service the Sistem51 in the normal way. When it stops, it's done. And the open caseback and the 91 m rating tell you it isn't meant for real diving.
It's a beach watch. I'd buy one for my niece. She'd get more use out of it than I would.