Remember in 2013, Swatch (the brand, not the Group) introduced a new watch that came like a blast, a watch in the vein of the affordable and fun idea of the brand, with an immense respect to the 1983 concept, but with a stupendous amount of innovation, as carrying in its plastic case the first automatic movement produced in-house by Swatch… and in a very specific industrial way. This was the Swatch Sistem51 (that we extensively reviewed and explained here). For those who are resistant to plastic cases, here is the new Swatch Sistem51 Irony, the automatic Swatch now in Steel.

Even if the shape of the Swatch Sistem51 Irony remains in the vein of the rest of the production (with the same rounded design and the specific 4 lugs to attach the straps), we now have a more serious look, with a case, a bezel and a crown in steel – and in option, the bracelet can even be made in this metal.The whole plastic concept (case, bezel, crown, bracelet) is here replaced by a full metal look, with all the external parts being crafted in stainless steel. This steel edition could be the option to enjoy a great automatic movement with an affordable price, on a daily basis – or just to enjoy the concept of the Sistem51 in a more formal style. More adult, more formal, more conventional maybe… However, wearing a plastic watch with fancy colors at work is probably not possible for all of us.

This stainless steel Swatch Sistem51 Irony not only feels more luxurious on the case side but this also goes for the dials and hands. Both are clearly more refined, with more discreet and more classical looks and some sun-ray or waves patterns. The hands are now made out of metal and not plastic anymore. A clear upmarket move from Swatch. Several styles are available, from traditional “sector” looks, to nautical themes and even an aviator style version, with black dial (the only with a brushed case). A two-tone version, with bezel and bracelet links gold plated, even exists.

After showing us the hyper-innovative – possible game-changing – Sistem51 in the traditional plastic case, the same movement is now used in a more serious version, the Swatch Sistem51 Irony. Thus, having a Swatch cased in stainless steel sounds like a weird idea, and this exactly why the metallic range of Swatch is named Irony. This feature is simply part of the overall idea of Swatch – it’s like the red color of a Ferrari, it’s closely interrelated. In steel yes, but with the same impudence.From the very beginning, in 1983, when the concept was launched by Nicolas Hayek, Swatch watches were cased (and strapped) in plastic.

The movement of the Swatch Sistem51 is a real engineering feat – and its specs are not bad either, as it boasts 90 hours of power reserve and has an accuracy of +/- 7 seconds per a day. Some watches with 4-figure price tag can’t state the same, believe us. The genius of the Sistem51 is that it’s made of only 51 parts, spread around 5 modules and linked one to another by only one central screw. It is indeed the first automatic movement to be entirely (fully, completely, 100%…) produced by machines. Already interesting, this is certainly because of the industrialization process that this movement has to be regarded.Apart from the new steel construction, what’s so special about the Swatch Sistem51? Well, to make it short, this watch features the first in-house produced automatic movement of the brand, in a price range below 200 euros. The assembling of the parts, including the 19 jewels and the regulating organ, is done by machine and uses only solders. Even the adjustments are done by lasers and not by watchmakers.