Very lightly and carefully used (worn maybe a dozen times). Complete in its original box/package with papers. The Hodinkee collaborations are always super stylish and sell out completely, and this one is no exception. Smart looking and extremely versatile in all black with Super cool red markers at 12, 3, and 9 with matching second hand, off-white 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, and 11 markers, display back for the automatic movement, and date at 6 o’clock.
Wears so well and adds a slightly funky, throw-back option to your collection without being strange or weird.
What HODINKEE says:
“Our third collaboration with Swatch brings one of our favorite designs from the mid-1980s – the heyday of Swatch mania – back to life, and comes with the added benefit of the mechanical SISTEM51 movement that is now equipped with an anti-magnetic Nivachron™ hairspring.
Why We Love It
Working with a partner like Swatch reminds us of why we have such a fondness for the watches on our wrists. So many HODINKEE staffers, as well as collectors and enthusiasts of all types, have sentimental memories of wearing these simple, straightforward timepieces during their life, and our goal with the SWATCH SISTEM51 HODINKEE GENERATION 1986 was to encapsulate that feeling of nostalgia with a new watch that we think you'll love.
The Backstory
Color and design have always been an intrinsic part of the Swatch identity, and when brainstorming this year's release, we knew we wanted to tap into that ideal while presenting something completely different than we have the past two years. That's why we selected the Emerald Diver as a platform to build off. This peculiar design from 1986, with its electric green case, never developed a cult following quite like the Keith Haring capsule collection that was released the same year, but it's a watch that we couldn't get out of our heads after seeing. The vibrant green look was paired with a black dial, a mix of yellow and red hour markers, shovel hands, and a day-date indicator at three o'clock. It had a striking appearance that was dripping with contrast, something totally authentic to the 1980s.
When updating the design for the 21st century, we wanted to make sure that its overall spirit was maintained with some small, but substantial, tweaks to make it more applicable as a daily-wear option today. That meant the green had to go in exchange for a more versatile, all-black look that seamlessly matches the color of the dial and silicone strap. We switched out the handset for a thinner, baton-style and moved the white date – no day – window to six o'clock. What mainly carried over from the Emerald Diver is the funky hour markers, retaining the interplay of color and eye-catching mix of triangles, rectangles, and circles. The case was upsized to more modern proportions of 42mm by 13.9mm, and we had Swatch outfit the automatic SISTEM51 movement with a Nivachron™ hairspring, one of the Swatch Group's most recent inventions. Nivachron™ is a titanium-based alloy that is resistant to magnetism, shocks, aging, and temperature variation, providing a better and more consistent chronometric performance over a watch's total lifespan. We changed the aesthetics of the movement as well, adding a muted, black-and-grey HODINKEE pattern filled with interlocking "H" characters that runs across the entire mainplate. It's visible through an exhibition caseback, where you can also view the peripheral rotor and some of the movement components.
The end result is both playful and low-key. The SWATCH SISTEM51 HODINKEE GENERATION 1986 is a watch that is sleek enough to maintain a degree of discretion while preserving the inherent Swatch charm that we hope will make you smile every time you glance at your wrist.
The SWATCH SISTEM51 HODINKEE GENERATION 1986 is available now in the HODINKEE Shop, with complimentary worldwide shipping. Additionally, a limited supply will be available in-store at the Swatch Times Square flagship boutique in New York City starting Thursday, November 21. This watch is not a numbered edition, but quantities are limited.”