Piece of Crap or Best Swatch Collaboration Yet? Blancpain x Swatch Fifty Fathoms Ocean Of Storms

[@floridaman727]

I admit I was a hater of these and the moonswatch until I saw this. I was at the rolex boutique getting a watch serviced and passed by swatch on my way out since they are close. Walked in because I’d never seen the collaboration pieces and I honestly digged the moonswatch but hated the blancpain in the crazy colors. The guy said hold on and went to the back and pulled this out. Didn’t even know it existed! It looks great and is super light. He informed me that swatch is servicing these and will offer replacement movements after the 2 year warranty is up. Ended up getting one. I know people say they are throw away watches and so what! I spend more on service for my collection than the out the door price on this. I’m not ashamed it’s a swatch and I think it’s actually a pretty cool watch for 450 bucks. I’ll probably get one for my son as well.

[@stefk9883]

Could not agree more. I like nice watches, but for a variety of reasons (the biggest being living in a place where the risk is high that expensive watches will be robbed from you) I decided to ‘downgrade’ to the MoonSwatch. Also did not like the initial too playful colours of the SwatchxBlancpain collection, but the Oceans of Storms is such a nice watch. I’ve put on a black rubber strap, does not look/feel like a watch slightly cheaper than €500.

[@floridaman727]

@@stefk9883 I could honestly care less what other people think. I don’t believe it’s a piece of crap because it’s only 500 bucks. I don’t understand why people all of a sudden are saying this is insane for a disposable watch when it’s not. Swatch has confirmed they will service it. But on top of that the people saying it costs to much spend thousands on micro brands or luxury brands

[@RoadRallyLife]

Ditto here, Moonswatch felt like a joke, this felt more substantial and the Ocean of Storms won me over the second I put it on. $400 for something I don't have to worry about and enjoy wearing was a no brainer. Not to mention I ended up getting into Blancpain as a brand subsequently.

[@PhantomObserver]

I can defend this. 1. Think of it as a Swatch for swimming. You don’t see all that many Swatches with a WR rating that permits it to be worn while swimming. 2. SCUBA means it’s light diving. It’s never going to be an ISO 6425 dive watch because the WR isn’t enough, but it’s still enough for people doing skin diving (with a tank and rebreather, but not a dive suit). 3. The Ocean of Storms is famous because it’s the landing site of Apollo 12, so yes there’s a Speedy connection that Swatch indirectly taps into. 4. The artwork in the caseback makes it fun, fun in the way that most of the Swatch line is supposed to be. Swatch was always meant to be the watch you buy for fun, rather than the one you get for everyday use.

[@josh33172]

I think this actually hits pretty high on value. There aren't many if any mechanicals on the market for 400 dollars with a 90hr power reserve. I bought this watch after contemplating over a beer here in Brussels Belgium. I actually didn't know the callab existed before walking into the store. Wife said I should do it... Also, I have been wearing it every day and it's actually been more accurate than my trusty Seiko Samurai. It's also a very easy wear once you get the NATO strap off. I went with a Zuludiver Kingsand that matches the curve of the case perfectly. It's incredibly light, very legible and has a 90hr power reserve so you can easily set it down on Friday, strap it back on Monday with no time adjust. The lum specs is SuperLuminova and as seen on the bezel as well. I don't care for the sea slug stuff on the winding weight on the case back...but whatever I don't look at it.

[@hkdaddy3326]

Great comment, curious, what is wrong with having the Nato strap?

[@josh33172]

@@hkdaddy3326 So one issue is the watch is something like 14mm thick to begin with. So adding the NATO strap bulks that out to around 16mm maybe slightly more. It sits to proud under the cuff. 2ndly the strap is really really long. It's good quality, but really it I don't believe it was sized appropriately. I really like the watch. It's light, not too big, not too small, incredibly legible and IMO an interesting watch. The 90hr power reserve was more of a reason as I will take off the watch on a Friday and sometimes won't put it back on until the following work day...which over this long Easter weekend with Good Friday, a 3 day weekend....most reasonably priced autos are done unless they're on a winder.

[@hkdaddy3326]

@@josh33172 Great reply, it touches on the points I had. Unfortunately it is out of stock where I am.

[@josevilabella]

Hi Chris, can you please confirm that the strap is the Artem loop-less black sailcloth with black stitching 21 mm with the 18 mm deployant clasp DLC? You won't believe it but I was planning to order it for the Ocean of Storms. Thanks for confirming!

[@Shayjayb]

I’m wondering why this keeps getting called plastic? It’s supposedly 66% zirconium oxide and 33% castor oil derived- that’s not “plastic”. Also, I imagine it says “SCUBA” to encourage folks to dive in it. I know I’m going to dive in mine. Watches get banged up on dive boats and putting on gear so I think this is the perfect dive beater. If it fails in the next 2 years, it’s under warranty and if it fails down the road…well at least it’s only $400. I know swatch will replace the movement down the road, that’s what they’ve said. Too popular not to. I think it’s a great pick for anyone Who is not taking their hobby too seriously and just want a fun watch.

[@ElectricShadowsZone]

A great overview of an interesting watch. I decided to look for a Seiko 5 Sports Black Dial Automatic SNZH55 SNZH55J1 SNZH55J "Fifty-Five Fathoms". I bought a pristine second hand one online for US $185. I saved some money and got five additional fathoms. 🙂

[@djcrazy941026]

You can't really make everyone happy. Swatch launches this, people say they would rather go to a microbrand that looks similar buts it's steel. You buy the homage version, people will say you have no soul and should have bought the original instead. Well the original is way too expensive for most of us. This is a fun middle place to have for a good amount of years. Oh but it's not serviceable, well majority of people won't service their 200$ orient bambino but only their expensive ones. You can never win lol I would say this one is the best looking so far and it's a fun watch. It doesn't diminish the value of the real deal but it does bring attention to it.

[@WaterJake]

Best of a bad batch. It would be a cool trinket at $150 like a regular Swatch. Maybe bump it up to $200 for marketing. At $400 forget it. There are so many more fun watches than this at way more reasonable budgets.

[@julienfroidevaux1143]

I'd prefer it was serviceable rather than a cheaper throw away watch .

[@hansmaristela7182]

I got the Ocean of Storms yesterday, plus the white Snoopy MoonSwatch. No regrets. I love them both, and I will keep them in my collection. I don’t know what makes you think that using the Ocean of Storms as a daily beater will cause its destruction. It’s a Swatch but with better materials that will make it survive a 300-foot dip in the deep. 🤔

[@mumm-ratheeverliving2097]

Hello what’s the name of the strap you suggested?

[@jimlima4066]

$200-400 for a Swatch “No TY” Fancy kids watch!! Thxs Chris 👊🏼👊🏼 Love your videos

[@andrediaz5618]

Great video! Where is that watch strap from?

[@andybroer651]

My daughter just surprised me with the Atlantic Ocean Fifty Fathoms as an early birthday present. While I appreciate the recycles watchband, it hides the display back, so I'll very soon replace it with something else. So far it has kept good time, since getting it over 2 days it (not instrumented) it is within less than 1 minute of my atomic clock. It is the first watch any of my 3 kids bought for me, so I love the thing for that reason alone. Ocean of Storms looks great! I may have seek one out.

[@marcberg5401]

What is the strap called you put on the watch?

[@floridaman727]

Looks like an artem sailcloth

[@ChaseTheHeat]

Anyone who gripes about this not being a real Blancpain is simply a tool. This will spawn a generation of watch freaks. See it for what it is. Get over yourselves

[@mondrayuk]

I just bought the Swatch Blancpain Fifty Fathoms X Scuba Storm of The Seas. I have a few homages of this model that are much better etc. So, why did I buy the Swatch Blancpain with the mission sistem 51 movement? With so many Swiss movement watches in my collection, it did not warrant buying The Real Deal. IMHO it is the first iconic historical diver watch that set a bar for others to follow. So, it is commemorative and I will only wear it on the very odd occasion indoors and may be outside, for fun. I am under no illusions what this watch is. I can say it is genuine, Swiss made and from the company that owns Blancpain with dimensions to the real deal that costs 20 times more! If it ever needs servicing, the module movement to be thrown away and replaced as it is not serviceable. If it were serviceable, it would cost more than the watch! There is a rationale for you!

[@minibus1351]

I think "Scuba" is there because it's the official name for the watch.

[@ashleyviagas4466]

Where is the strap from?? Thanks!

[@floridaman727]

Looks like an Artem sailcloth

[@juniorjohnson5961]

I'd like to get one it's a good looking watch. Thanks Chris 🙏 I bought the THORN homage to the Blancpain 50 Fathoms. Dave Swartz did a review of it for $110 it's a nice copy.

[@bluesdog645]

I’d buy the Thorn before I’d buy this plastic mess.

[@kennkingg]

I agree with you on the looks! It’s the best looking one so far. I just wonder how far are they going to take all this and what direction will they go?

[@tlevans62]

I just saw that exact watch and had exactly the same reaction to it. Change the strap and it will look really good, however, for the price, I just added a hundred bucks and bought a Steinhart Ocean 39, with a Selita movement, sapphire crystal and 300 meters water resistance in stainless steel. Much better value.

[@finesse49]

POC for me.

[@MrStarmel39]

Where did you get the bands and would they fit the moonswatch

[@benjamingruen6820]

Hey for the collectors thst dont have an unlimited budget this is a fun alternative to own a blancpain. I may get one.

[@alanchappell4845]

I bought this watch as a fall back to my 40 mm Explorer along with the Artem black strap with the black PVD buckle. It is a really nice watch and good quality considering its plastic construction and the sistem 51 seems to have mostly metal components. I had a Sinclair 'Black watch' from 1975 and they are still available used on ebay and they were a really crap watch and quite expensive at the time, and all plastic construction but still going after nearly fifty years!

[@GrumblingForesight]

Im thinking of getting the same watch as a sidekick for my 16570 too!

[@KrispyCrem3]

Novel. I bought an early Sistem51 and flipped it before it broke. The old Swatch automatics were more robust.

[@jamesk9321]

1991 Mid-tier malls and department stores carried Rolex. You could order ANY model except a steel Daytona (and that was the Zenith movement back then).

[@EGO0808]

I am more of a IWC, Panerai and Breitling guy, not Omega and not Blancpain (and not Swatch). Read somehow that the new Super blue moonswatch was coming out, queued for it without knowing why, got two blue moons, liked and bought the black and white Snoopy moonswatches and then my eye fell on this Fifty Fathoms Ocean of Storms. Bought it as well and it’s on my wrist now for two consecutive days. Why?😂😂😂

[@WatchChris]

lol

[@jcsivelli]

Wearing it for more than a month and its the best swatch i have....

[@ofb7212]

POC

[@stanislas4990]

I have some Blancpain x Swatch Fifty Fathoms and the more I wear them, the more I like them. It is an affordable Blancpain Fifty Fathoms , great looking and the quality is really good for a Swatch.

[@mdleweight]

I bought one today at Times Square store. I really like it so far.

[@mijnbuisje]

Why compare it to the all black original model instead of the regular model which it resembles?

[@AverageJoe84]

The "disposable" arguments are hilarious to me. Everyone of you has probably spent $200+ on a pair of sneakers or a belt that wont last half the life of this 10 year movement. We live in a time when it costs $70 to fill a gas tank. Please stop acting like you dont spend your money stupidly elsewhere people. Its a cool watch. Enjoy it, buy one or dont. Please stop crying like it touched you. Its pathetic, honestly.

[@DANNY35870]

I mean if I'm not stupid enough to buy a $400 plastic toy, I'm definitely not stupid enough to spend more than $100 on designer clothing that's not on sale... next argument please. People just want and frankly deserve better than this POC, and here you are defending the massive Swiss brand screwing over its customers, come on man.

[@emm_arr]

"Its a cool watch." That's a very subjective claim.

[@AverageJoe84]

​@@DANNY35870maybe you can come out with a more desirable timepiece for us to buy. We'll wait.😂

[@AverageJoe84]

​@@emm_arrwatches are entirely subjective but that doesnt mean I should be mad at the ones that arent for me and go around punching sand.

[@oleggazaryan7469]

⁠@@AverageJoe84the main issue that people have is that for this price you can get a better quality watch that won’t break as easily, Seiko, for example. Also, what’s the point of comparing watches to other products like gas and shoes while it’s more logical to do so within one product group??

[@Joe-xo3xy]

the scuba branding is because it is a swatch scuba, they have made some very iconic models under the scuba line like the jelly fish, this is for real swatch nerds that have been into their plastic dive watches.

[@bluesdog645]

Sign that it’s a POC. The reviewer states “It’s not that bad”. Chris, you’ve spent far more time on these things than they are worth. And the Artem needs to be removed asap before the crappiness infects it! 😂

[@stephenhendricks6790]

Obviously, Blancpain and Swatch believe PT Barnum was onto something.

[@WatchChris]

😂😂

[@rodg2335]

I'd rather have a nice high quality picture of a real Fifty Fathoms. Wasted effort. More plastic garbage....but thanks Chris for another good vid.

[@WatchChris]

Fair enough!

[@westcott2204]

Is the movement 14,400?

[@rexmabunga]

I think “Scuba” is there because you can take it scuba diving? 300ft water resistance

[@borassictime918]

So, this plastic “best looking turd” “isn’t all that bad“ “not buying it for its functionality” “not going to last you a long time”SwatchPain, with its festival of fonts and typefaces cluttering up its dial is an expensive croc of s***. The point is that unlike a $40 NH35, or Miyota 8k, you can’t even swap out the nasty disposable Sistem51 movement, never mind regulate it. That IS a “big of a deal” Chris.

[@WatchChris]

So we don't know if you can't swap it out. The case backs are snap on. I'm only trying to give an argument from both sides. I purchased these because I have a KZbin channel. I'm trying to give people the information and they can make their own decision. I think the watch is a good looking watch that looks like a 50 fathoms however, it's not made for use every day. Thanks for watching!

[@borassictime918]

I take your point Chris, I didn’t mean to sound chippy. Let’s assume it’s physically possible to swap the movement, as you said yourself it’s far from clear that replacement Sistem51 movements (with the correct SwatchPain decoration for the model) will be made available. Given that Swatch Group is in on-going court battle with UK parts supplier Cousins, that seems unlikely other than via Swatch itself. So, yes, as you pointed out, a failure during warranty will simply result in a replacement watch, and out of warrant who knows…almost certainly cheaper to just buy a new one, than to try to get it fixed. All the best.

[@WatchChris]

@@borassictime918 No offense taken at all. I just wish that swatch were a little bit more transparent about this information in general. But either way, since these are very popular watches, I think they'll be an aftermarket solution soon... Thanks again!!

[@N7Sound]

Yes they change the movement at the Swatch Store, you don't have to throw away the watch 😂

[@joejh42]

destined for a landfill. this crossover fad needs to end.

[@stephannordmann5346]

I love my swatch blancpain

[@Pierluigi_Di_Lorenzo]

8:14 Why go and buy a microbrand diver and not Seiko or Citizen?

[@ahha6304]

I mean thins thing can't even recycle or reuse but made of recycled goods, why?

[@olivierschneider9968]

Scuba is coming from the diver watch range in Swatch I think.

[@BroAriq]

Spinnaker fleuss if you want that BP look

[@bestboy897]

U can get so much better for the same price something in actual metal and not plastic

[@bluesdog645]

I’m not paying $400 for a throwaway watch. I won’t even pay the $260 or whatever for the one before it. My friend loaned me a MoonSwatch so I could “experience the fun”. I wore it for one day and really need to get it back to him. Too much “fun” for me, I guess.

[@bmt65]

Man Rolex ADs - worst retail experience of all time

[@hkdaddy3326]

I love the look and the fact that it is plastic, cheap and light weight. But in terms of durability, how long should I expect this watch to last? I have other watches, digital and automatics for years and no issues.

[@MaartenAnna]

That’s pretty cool! Love that strap by the way. 👍

[@WatchChris]

Thanks 👍

[@elinalagunas-t2b]

Siii

[@zillsburyy1]

crapola

[@mcmach1]

Jo mama 😂

[@n0directi0nh0me]

Great video

[@WatchChris]

Thanks!

[@choywh]

I bought the Watchdives homage to 50 fathoms and for ~$150 is much better value than this IMHO.

[@lewislane1143]

I rather buy a Seiko

[@WatchChris]

It would last a lot longer! thanks for the comment!

[@nathanaelsmith3553]

Sea slugs on the moon?

[@mcmach1]

Didn't you see the news??

[@DANNY35870]

$400 is an absolute joke. The huge number of absolutely brilliant and serviceable watches you can buy for that price is staggering, please don't waste your money on this guys!

[@starshiptrooper4506]

The watch is disposable. I bought a citizen automatic divers watch at a macys on closour foe 280. It was a 650 watch.

[@tuberaider]

This is just ridiculous. For that money, just sell us the case, and we'll buy and install a Swiss movement in it.

[@Gr33nMachine83]

Seiko movements are not designed to be disposable. Its just easier for them to replace. Seiko movements are a real mechanical piece of engineering that will last longer then us. You cant compare seiko to this swatch garbage that is actually disposable.

[@JohnH-mo5mb]

A $15,000 watch design combined with a $40 manufacturing quality, equals a $400 watch. For 400 bucks you can also get a fantastic citizen pro master diver, or a glycine combat sub, and in either case have 100 bucks left over, plus a watch in steel, with a real movement, and that will last you a lot longer. In either case, the big difference is the profit margin, swatch is making the biggest killing.

[@johnstyron6543]

I actually enjoy the Swatch + Blancpain for what it is. And I do agree the “Dark Ocean” 😂 is probably the coolest version. It’s fun. Other watches are definitely better value so don’t buy it if you want it for everyday as you say.

[@sebastien6483]

Ive paid more for a clasp from Omega parts so the cost argument is moot for me. I do like some variants of the bathyscaphe, but the form of fifty fathoms that this emulates does nothing for me. I find the color options on the Swatch fun. For that reason this is my second to least favorite version. (The yellow doesnt photograph well to me.) If I had the opportunity Id probably impulse purchase one and be happy with it along with other "real watches"🙄. It strikes me as a much better package than a moonswatch especially considering the price difference.

[@Kevinluka2022]

Lol, i think my $70 casio enduro looks way better and is much more worth the money

[@orangeyellow-me1pz]

Lol, $400 for plastic. You're all insane for buying this thing unless you're a reviewer. That's way too much for a plastic watch with a garbage movement.

[@PaoloZucchetti]

I love it!

[@trogpo]

This is a rare case, in which it is more moral to buy a fake Fifty Fathoms than this "Bio Ceramic" disposable legal money grabber.

[@davemck1887]

Piece of crap, just like the last ones. A disposable sham.

[@jimmy2boats]

crap

[@waterhead1359]

Disposable watch , waste of money

[@orangeyellow-me1pz]

Stop comparing the Seiko movement to this trash. The Seiko movement is serviceable, you can regulate it, it is far more accurate than this trash as well. Stop trying so hard to justify garbage.

[@WatchChris]

Hey thanks for the comment, I'm not trying to justify this watch, just trying to be as fair as I can. I say in every review for any Swatch, they are not for everyday use. They will break, if you wear them daily.

[@orangeyellow-me1pz]

@@WatchChris the whole point of a drive watch is to be rugged enough to take it. People should not feed this thing. Only then might Swatch actually make something worth the $400 price tag

[@headforthetropics]

I'm guessing that Swatch owns Blancpain and that Blancpain was forced into this unfortunate collaboration. I do think that the watch looks great, but $400 for what is ultimately a disposable plastic watch is patently ridiculous.

[@saleendriver]

I'm going to vote POC. Just like the MoonSwatch. An insult to REAL Omega and Blancpain owners and fans.

[@MujtabaLokhande]

You’re a disgrace!

[@orangeyellow-me1pz]

Say it louder for those in the back. I'm always for good cheaper watches but $400 for this plastic turd?

[@julienfroidevaux1143]

​​@@orangeyellow-me1pzif it was serviceable I could probably get on board . The most ridiculous thing about this thing is the Greenwashing , a throw away watch with a recycled strap .😂

[@borassictime918]

Yeah the “…meant to be disposable”, “…isn’t all that bad…” SwatchPain is Swatch Group laughing all the way to the bank at Omega and Blancpain fanbois for being fanbois. The message is; big brands are only interested in your cash.

[@julienfroidevaux1143]

@@borassictime918 Except watch's aren't meant to be disposable, though I get what you're saying . I like Swatch though some of their questionable practices make it hard do so. 😭

[@mountainjay]

It's a piece of crap

[@nedflanders3769]

True. Just buy a San Martin for less money and a wayyy better watch!

[@pruteanu6]

Crap

[@felo6035]

This is for the person that has $400 to burn on a fun watch to be worn every now and then...and that's fine.

[@romybuenaventura3133]

disposable $400 watch? only idiots will buy this

[@michelangeloc.4265]

200 was the right price.

[@ajbones4207]

The Fifty Fathoms O.O.S is the least offensive out of all of the Swatch collab's and as much as I hate these plastic gimmicky watches, I'd buy it in black if it were reduced to $150 bucks at most. It's absurd to pay the asking retail price knowing that it's a pretty toy with a short lifespan. Just my opinion though, no offence to those that purchased it at full price. It is the best looking from the Swatch Clowns so far.

[@orangeyellow-me1pz]

Yeah, that'd be still way overpriced.