Swatch Scuba Libre review 200M Water Resistant

4/28/2018 0 Comments

Swatch “Scuba Libre” Watch Review - A Playful Beach watch with water resistance

Swatch is well known for producing fun-type watches that are suitable for everyday casual wear, collectible, and fashionable at the same time. I cannot tell you how many editions of Swatch Swiss watches have been released over the years because there are far too many. Many collectors of Swatch watches have seen rising values in certain rare limited edition models, but the Scuba Libre is not one of them. I purchased this watch from JomaShop ( Link Below ) and today were going to talk about it a bit as it is my first Swatch since I was a very young boy at the age of 8.

Case

The plastic case on this 44MM wide watch is certainly light and that is one thing I took notice of. You cannot compare the weight to a stainless steel watch or even titanium to the Scuba Libre, even though it is one of the larger Swatch produced pieces. We have a small mineral crystal which is surrounded by a rather bold 60 click bi directional rotating bezel. The bezel is plastic as well in a matte plastic while the rest of the case is “brushed”. In terms of thickness we are looking at 16.6MM which is quite thick in all honesty. The height of the libre or “Lug 2 Lug” measures a decent 49MM which helps it wear a MM smaller or so with the 44MM case.

Dial

The dial of the Libre is actually quite small on this black/white edition due to the large oversized bezel. It does feature lume which glows green and it actually isnt too bad for a $80 Swatch ( Lume Show Below ). We have Swatch and Swiss printed in white below the 12:00 position, a large arrow pointed seconds hand which reaches the markers very nicely for easy legibility while the hands are quite thick and bold to match the bezel I assume.

Movement

The Quartz movement which powers this watch is unknown to me and there seems to be no information I can find out about it. I do believe it is some type of Swiss variant quartz movement because we do not get hacking when the crown is fully pulled out to the time set position which is a bit of a letdown, especially for a quartz watch. I would say Swatch was thinking “Fashion over Function” here. A nice feature is the easy battery change capability on the caseback which literally allows you to swap batteries within seconds.

WATER RESISTANCE - YES!

The main reason I chose the Scuba Libre over some other closely priced Swatch watches is due to the actual water resistance. Swatch states this model is 200M water resistance which means you can take this thing in the pool, ocean, or even shallow diving. The crown is Pull/Push but I assume there is a decent gasket beneath the crown. Many Swatch watches are not water resistant which is a bummer but this one is certainly a capable one.

Strap

The strap supplied is a black silicone strap with white going down the middle to match the overall black/white cookie aesthetic here. The strap is super comfortable and is not a stiff one indeed. At the end of the strap is the classic Swatch plastic buckle which the strap goes under and then is held securely by a silicone holster. One thing to keep in mind is that these straps are only meant for Swatch watches as the connection point is slotted.

Conclusion

The Swatch “Scuba Libre” is not a serious watch, nor a collectors dream watch in any way. This watch is meant to be fun and good for light water activities. For example, If I were to go to the beach am I really going to wear a Rolex or a Omega when I can simply throw my Scuba Libre on and have just as a good time without worrying if my watch will get damaged due to the rough waters here in New York beaches. Now if I were in Delray beach or West Palm, Is probably wear my Rolex Submariner to the beach. Anyway, this watch is certainly a fun new addition to my collection and now has me thinking...Should I buy another Swatch?! They are so cool!