Swatch Plays Off Its Most Hyped Watch With This Bold, Affordable Diver

No one expected the Omega x Swatch Speedmaster MoonSwatch to take off the way it did, pun intended.

It is fair to say that the in-house collab — Swatch owns Omega — is the most hyped watch to ever bear the Swiss horological titan’s name on the dial.

Swatch

Naturally, Swatch would like to carry as much of that hype to other releases as possible. After milking the MoonSwatch for all it was worth and then some, Swatched followed up with a Fifty Fathoms that got a respectable but decidedly less successful reception.

Rather than looping in another one of its prestigious house brands, Swatch has designed a completely new dive watch under its own name using the same material and design language applied to the MoonSwatch.

Swatch

Brilliantly named the Scubaqua, this 44mm dive watch makes a big visual and physical impression on the wrist. With five colors available at launch, it is the Platonic ideal of a fun summer beater.

Work hard, play hard

Despite a playful appearance, the Scubaqua is a genuine dive watch with 100m water resistance, a comfortable feel and excellent legibility.

Swatch

The simple dial layout and classic dive watch hands, highlighted by the arrow-shaped second hand, are easy to read at arm’s length. The painted hour markers, hand inlays, 15-minute bezel track and bezel minute markers all glow in the dark.

In a twist I’ve never seen before, outside of “destro” watches, the crown is placed at ten o’clock. Rather than accommodating left-handed patrons, Swatch explains that this is a safety-focused position, which is also why the crown is sunken into the crown guard.

Swatch

Further emphasizing safety in and out of the water, Swatch smoothed all the edges on the Scubaqua. The bezel grip, case sides and lugs are all rounded off to prevent snagging and abrasion.

Material appeal

Thanks to Swatch’s Bioceramic polymer, made famous by the MoonSwatch, combined with a transparent material derived from castor oil, weight is not an issue with this hulking 44mm wide and 15mm thick case.

Swatch

Not only do these innovative materials allow for limitless color expression, but they are also lightweight without being brittle.

All five colors use Bioceramic in the crown and bezel, while the translucent cases use the castor oil-derived material. The dial is plastic and the strap is artificial rubber.

Swatch

The white option, dubbed Aurelia Aurita after a species of jellyfish, stands out with the blue, red and yellow hands found throughout Swatch’s catalog.

Swatch

Swatch has never taken watchmaking too seriously, at least under its own name. The Scubaqua is a serviceable dive watch that provides the same blend of fun, function and affordability found in the MoonSwatch, without all the hoopla associated with the Speedmaster.

Availability and pricing

The Swatch Scubaqua is available now from Swatch for $150.

Swatch

Swatch Scubaqua

Specs

Case Size	44mm
Movement	Swatch quartz
Water Resistance	100m

• $150 at Swatch

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