A quartz watch uses an oscillation of quartz to define the time. All Swatch watches are made of quartz movements, except for our Automatic watches, which includes all the Sistem51 models. Quartz has the property of oscillation with a precise frequency when it is stimulated electronically. A crystal oscillator is an electronic circuit that uses the mechanical resonance of a vibrating crystal of piezoelectric material to create an electrical signal with a very precise frequency. This frequency is commonly used to keep track of time (as in quartz wrist watches), to provide a stable clock signal for digital integrated circuits, and to stabilise frequencies for radio transmitters and receivers. The most common type of piezoelectric resonator used is the quartz crystal, so oscillator circuits designed around them were called "crystal oscillators".  In other words: quartz is a stable vibration that gives regular impulses. Through the “circuit integer” impulses are given to the wheels of the hands.

The Swatch Automatic and Sistem51 models are a self winding mechanical watches. The power to keep running is not provided by a battery but by natural kinetic energy created by motions of the wearer’s arm. Automatic watches react more sensitively to temperature fluctuations, knocks and the way they are worn. Therefore, an automatic watch does not run as precisely as a quartz watch and inaccuracies of -10 to +40 seconds per day arise. From experience we know that the mechanical watches tend towards inaccuracy as long as they are new. This usually regulates itself with the time.

Automatic:                   -10 to + 40 sec/day

Chrono Automatic:     ± 20 (0-40) sec/day

Sistem51:                    -5 +15 (±10) sec/day

The Swatch Autoquartz is a technology that combines the advantage of an automatic, battery-free movement with quartz precision and reliability. The kinetic energy generated by the oscillating weight in the Autoquartz is transformed into electricity. This is stored in a capacitor and monitored by a tiny electric circuit and quartz oscillator to produce the sort of precision typically associated with quartz. The capacitor holds enough power in reserve to keep the watch going for a full 100 days.

A chronograph is a watch with a stopwatch function. This additional mechanism makes it possible to measure and record short times. By clicking on the push buttons, the hands of the chronograph (seconds, minutes, hours) can be started, stopped, or reset to zero. Please see our manual for step-by-step directions on the chronograph features.

A chronometer is a watch tested for accuracy and reliability at the official control centers and which has obtained an official rate certificate from the COSC (Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute).

Greenwich, England has been the home of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) since 1884. GMT is also called Greenwich Meridian Time because it is measured from the Greenwich Meridian Line at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich. Greenwich is the place from where all time zones are measured.

The “Coordinated Universal Time” (UTC) is the basis for civil time today. This 24-hour time standard is kept using highly precise atomic clocks combined with the Earth's rotation.

UTC is the time standard commonly used across the world. The world's timing centres have agreed to keep their time scales closely synchronised - or coordinated - therefore the name Coordinated Universal Time.

Two components are used to determine UTC:

1. International Atomic Time (TAI): A time scale that combines the output of some 200 highly precise atomic clocks worldwide, and provides the exact speed for our clocks to tick.

2. Universal Time (UT1), also known as astronomical time or solar time, refers to the Earth's rotation. It is used to compare the pace provided by TAI with the actual length of a day on Earth.

Time zones around the world are expressed as positive or negative offsets from UTC. In this role as the zero-point reference, UTC is also referred to as Zulu time (Z). UTC is often referred to as Greenwich Mean Time when describing time zones, although strictly speaking UTC (atomic time scale) is only approximately the same as GMT.

The watches indicated as “Shock Resistant” are watches of which the residual effect on the precision after standardised shocks does not exceed 2 seconds per day for quartz watches and 60 seconds per day for the others, according to the standard ISO 1413 (based on the simulation of the shock received by a watch on falling accidentally from a height of 1 m on to a horizontal hardwood surface), or NIHS 91-10 which is the equivalent standard for the Swiss watch industry.

We indicate that Swatch watches are ´water-resistant´ to an overpressure of 3 bar or 10 bar or 20 bar. Depending on the model of the watch. These indications correspond to the pressure exercised during the water-resistant test according to the ISO norm 22810. The indicated values are equivalent to the hydrostatic pressure exercised in immersion at 30 m, 100m or 200 m in the water. Every Swatch watch will remain water-resistant provided that the crown, pushers, glass, case and gaskets remain intact. (Crown and pushers must never be manipulated under water!)

The function Telemeter (Stormeter) is noted on the dial or bezel of the Swatch models “Take Some Minutes - YCS481” and “Rosso Furore - YCS494G” (from the professional dictionary of watch-making)
It is an instrument for measuring distances. In horology, it is a timer or chronograph with a graduated dial enabling distances to be read off on the basis of the speed of sound through the air at 0°C., v = 331.5 meters per second. The time that elapses between the flash of an explosion (firing of a gun, lightning) and the hearing of the noise makes it possible to read off on the dial the distance between the observer and the position of the flash.

The Swatch Access is a multifunctional, interactive Swatch with a built-in-memory.  The microchip contained in the watch can store a vast range of data, while the antenna is used to communicate with a terminal to read the contents of the microchip. A computer program drives the whole system. Swatch Access / Snowpass is easily integrated in systems with applications such as ticketing, keys, payment and network access.

The Swatch Snowpass has time indication and a contactless chip card function (RFID) and is a functional alternative to contactless chip cards.

There are 2 different Snowpass versions using different RFID chip technology: RFID 125 kHz (older version) or RFID 13.56 MHz.

The dial on the face of a chronograph used to measure the speed in kilometres or metres per hour (and not miles). On the majority of the Swatch Chrono models, the tachometric scale on the dials or bezel allows the reading of a speed measurement, directly in kilometres per hour (km/h). The speed measurement must be carried out inside a time interval of maximum 60 seconds for distances of 10, 100 or 1000 metres. For a measurement on 1000 metres, the figure read on the tachometric scale corresponds directly to the speed in km/h. For a measurement on 100 meters, the figure read on the tachometric scale must be divided by 10 to obtain the speed in km/h. For a measurement on 10 metres, the figure read on the tachometric scale must be divided by 100 to obtain the speed in km/h.

Between 2- 3 years, depending on the size of the battery and the function. For example, watches with the Chronograph function may have a battery life that is less than, for example, a Swatch Original Gent watch.

Internet Time is a new universal time created by Swatch. With this new way of timekeeping, there are no more time zones, as the entire world is happening at the same time, at the same moment. Internet Time divides the 24 hours of a day into 1000 units called beats. 1 beat represents 1 minute and 26.4 seconds.

Internet Time is displayed by @ and three digits, ranging from @000 to@999. The internet day starts at midnight (@000) in Biel, the home of Swatch.

The End of Life (EOL) indicates, by blinking screen or hands movements,
that the battery is approaching its end. EOL function is shown mostly with
products with a Lithium battery.

On Swatch Touch: The numbers will start to blink. This will last for 3 hours
and then the blinking will stop. Solar: The second hands will stop for a few
seconds and then make a "jump" of a few seconds, so that the time is
correct again. Of course when it is charged the EOL will also stop.

Swatch Automatic watches contain 23 Jewels and the Irony Automatic (as well as the Irony Diaphane Automatic) have 21 jewels, as indicated on the back of the movement.

A collection is a group of products that are associated with a particular style (e.g. Spring/Summer Collection; Fall/Winter Collection).

These models were inspired by modern street wear and make an obvious statement with their 47mm diameter case. Distinctive hands show the way forward.

Bijoux is the name of the Swatch jewellery collection.

Originals refers to the original family of Swatch watches, which began with the Swatch Gent. Discover a few examples of Originals.

The digital family from Swatch. The .beat line displays Internet Time. Discover a few examples of .beat.

 Skin is the name of one of the Swatch collections. Skin models are 3.9mm thick, the thinnest Swatch watches. Discover a few examples of Skin.

Irony models are stainless steel and aluminum wrist watches that come in a variety of designs. Discover a few examples of Irony.

Digital is the name of a collection of multi-function digital watches including the Touch and Beat watches. Discover a few examples of Digital.

Gent refers to models from the first collection of Swatch watches. The
diameter of the watch head measures 34mm. Discover a
few examples of Gent.

New Gent models are watches from a new collection launched in 2010. The diameter of the watchhead measures 41 mm. Discover few examples of New Gent.

A Swatch watch specifically designed for women. Its case is similar to the Gent but smaller. The case size for the Lady is 25mm, while the case size for the Gent is 34mm. Discover few examples of Lady.

The Diaphane Collection comprises classic and sporty watches by Swatch. These watches are characterised by the combination of aluminum and frosted plastic making up its case. Discover a few examples of Diaphane.

The Swatch Fun Boarder combines an altimeter, Snowpass and fashion
accessory in a single timepiece. Discover a few examples of Fun Boarder.

A Jelly in Jelly is slightly bigger than a Gent. The models are technically more flexible in their design of new shapes. Discover a few examples of Jelly in Jelly.

A robust, heavier model in the Irony Collection. Discover a few examples of Nabab.

A splashy, stylish model in the Originals family. Discover a few examples of Pop.

A Square has a square case. Discover a few examples of Square.

Swatch Touch watches make use of digital displays and technology, including touch screens, to offer a series of time and special functions. Discover an few examples of Touch.

A Turnover has a reversible watch face. Discover a few examples of Turnover.

An X-Large is the same shape as a Gent but is 30% larger. Discover a few examples of X-Large.

A Chrono is a Swatch watch with stopwatch functions. It measures hours and minutes to the precise second and has a tachometric scale. Discover a few examples of Chrono.

The dial changes color when pressed lightly: the day watch becomes a night watch, allowing the time to be read in the dark. Discover a few examples of Loomi.

Swatch Chrono Plastic models combine durable, sports-ready materials with precise quartz chrono movements. Trademark features include a rugged strap, plastic case, rotating bezel and large pushers and crown. Discover a few examples of Chrono Plastic.

Water resistance to 200 metres, easy readability and a rotating bezel help the user keep track of time underwater. Discover an example of Scuba 200.

Water resistance to 200meters, a big, fun sports watch. Discover a few examples of Fun Scuba.

A very big Swatch Gent (almost 2 meters tall) you can hang on the wall.

Length: 210 cm

Strap width: 14.5 cm

Watch head diameter: 38 cm

Watch head thickness: 8 cm

Discover a few examples of Maxi.

An Aquachrono is a diver’s watch with stopwatch functions. Discover a few examples of Aquachrono.

A chronograph watch with arched counter displays whose hands jump back to zero. Discover a few examples of Retrograde.

Owners of a Swatch Musicall hear a jingle when the alarm rings and turn it off by pressing a button. All functions are controlled by the crown. Discover a few examples of Musicall.

A Swatch Jelly in Jelly equipped with dials that change like a kaleidoscope, returning to the original image once every hour. Discover a few examples of Puzzle Motion.

The Stop can be converted from an ordinary watch into a stopwatch at the push of a button. Discover a few examples of Stop.

The Swatch Solar is a watch powered by solar energy. When power runs low the second hand jumps forward at four-second intervals, indicating that the watch must be recharged by exposure to a light source. Discover a few examples of Solar.

Irony The Chrono has a large-format rugged steel case, with a tachometric scale on the bezel and a date window on the dial, with a strong leather strap or solid metal bracelet. Discover a few examples of The Chrono.

Lustrous Bliss is a SKIN set with 174 real diamonds, intended as an
homage to Hollywood Dream, the popular "diamond" studded Swatch from 1990.  Discover a few examples of Lustrous Bliss.

Diaphane One combines plastic and aluminium in a lightweight model with a self-winding mechanical movement. Discover an example of Diaphane One.

Spidome watches are designed with Milanese and Parisian haute couture in mind. Discover an example of Spidome.

Irony Square Lady models have a robust square steel case and square or rectangular crystals protecting the dial. Discover a few examples of Irony Square Lady.

With its solid case and the crown in platinum 950, Tresor Magique is an exclusive watch with an automatic movement and a leather strap, sold in a limited and numbered edition of 12,999 pieces. Discover an example of Platine Tresor Magique.

So flat, so elegant. The stainless steel watches with their 38mm diameter case know how to display their best side on every occasion - whether classic, casual or sporty. 

So flat and so elegant: the stainless steel watches are now available with a 42mm diameter case. The new classic always shows its best side - whether classic, casual or sporty.  

The eloquent collection with a diameter of 40mm.

The flat and elegant stainless steel 36.80mm diameter watches

The new models from the lively, stylish watches straight from our Originals collection. 

SISTEM51 combines the first fully automatically manufactured mechanical movement with innovative designs and exposed movements exhibiting a sure-fire wow-factor in a 42mm diameter case.

As light-hearted, colourful and stylish as a Swatch on your wrist: the new Swatch sunglasses collection.

PICK A DESIGN, MAKE YOUR SWATCH!

A design-it-yourself Swatch? Swatch X You make it possible! Inspired by Swatch’s collections and collaborations with Swatch enthusiasts in the worlds of art and sport.  

SwatchPAY! - The coolest way to pay!
The payment card on your wrist is extra-fast, water-proof and can even be used without a battery - paying was never so easy!

The first Swatch with an anti-magnetic Nivachron™ hair spring in a strictly limited edition - three models and only 500 watches in each. The revolutionary movement nestles under a non-reflective sapphire crystal glass in a 45mm PVD coated or alternatively a plain stainless steel case.

The battery number can be found on the battery itself.  In the event that you no longer have your battery, you may refer to the back of your watch case.  For more information, please see our battery list.

To change the battery of your Swatch, you can take your watch to any Swatch corporate retail store and a store representative will assist you. The list of stores is available under here

You have three options:

You can take your watch back to your local retail jeweler, but you may be charged.
You can take the watch to a Swatch Store. Find the list here.
Alternatively, you can return the watch to your nearest Swatch official Service Centre. You can find a list of all Swatch Service Centres.

Please remember to enclose a cover letter stating exactly what should be done. You should also include your contact details including your telephone number and e-mail address, as appropriate.

Replacement straps, buckles, batteries and battery covers are available at your Swatch store. The list of stores is available under here. If you are not within driving distance to a store, every store can answer your questions by phone. Another possibility is to directly contact your nearest Service Centre.

You can take your watch to a Swatch Store or send it directly to a Service Center with either a copy of your receipt or a stamped guarantee.
You can find a list of all Swatch Service Centers on the link Service Centre that you find on the left menu bar of this page.

Please remember to enclose a cover letter stating exactly what has to be done. You should also include your contact details.

Please see our manual for step-by-step directions on the chronograph features.

Please see our manual for step-by-step directions on how to change the time, day, and date.

To determine your wrist size, please see our PDF.

To find a Swatch corporate retail store, please visit our store locator.

 Swatch Club is all about fun, joie de vivre, positive provocation — and of course, people. People who love to have fun, live life to the fullest and can’t wait to share their passion for Swatch. Our community gets together all over the world for exclusive events in exciting locations, and to meet artists, star athletes and celebrities.

Join the Club now! www.swatch.com/register

Swatch Club has different membership statuses:

Starter membership

Registration as a Starter member is free and is the first step into the incredible world of Swatch Club!

Invite your friends to discover the Club with you. All it takes to start enjoying various online benefits is to create an online account on www.swatch.com/register.

Premium membership

If the Starter membership is not enough, upgrade to Premium is really easy. A Starter member can purchase the current Club watch and register his 12-digit code online. The Premium membership will be valid for one year and will grant you access to exclusive Swatch Club benefits on and offline. Discover them all in the upcoming pages or online at www.swatch.com/clubbenefits

Gold membership

You can only become a Gold member by winning our yearly Gold Member Contest: the contest is open to all members and takes place once a year. The theme of this contest changes every year but the spirit stays the same: Show your Swatch passion! If you are one of the lucky winners of the contest, you will gain Gold member status and will be able to access all exclusive benefits on- and offline.

Swatch cannot honour the warranty & policies if purchased from an unauthorised retailer, send the watch back to the original place of purchase.

Our online store is an authorised Swatch retailer or you can click on our store locator to locate an authorised retailer near you.

• Click on the My Account link located at the top of the homepage.
• Under the heading “New Customer” fill in the required boxes.
• Click submit to complete your account set up.

Swatch takes great care to ensure your credit card information is safe when placing an order online. When making a purchase at Swatch, you shop in a secure mode using SSL encryption -- the Internet standard for secure transactions. This ensures that your orders are encrypted when you transmit them to Swatch.  If you have any questions regarding our privacy practices, please call us on 0027 11 911 1200 (From Monday – Friday 9:00AM - 5:00PM) or Email us on e-commerce.za@swatchgroup.co.za

We would hate to lose you, but in the event you no longer want to receive our newsletters just click unsubscribe link at the bottom of our most recent email and you will be unsubscribed.

Click on the My Account link located at the top of the homepage. Once you arrive to the dashboard, click on My Orders to locate your order history.

Ordering on shop.swatch.com is designed to be a quick & easy process. Just follow these steps:

1. Find the product or products
By using the tabs on the top of the page you can browse shop.swatch.com by watches, collections or jewellery. You can also search for a specific item by using the 'search' box located in the upper right-hand corner of the screen. To access detailed information about a product, click on the page and the detail specification tab.

2. Use the shopping basket
To place a product in your shopping basket from the product page, select the desired size and quantity of the item you wish to purchase, then click on the 'Add to Basket' button once.
While in your shopping basket, you can remove the quantity at any time. Simply click the trash icon.
Remember, by clicking the link in the upper right-hand corner of the screen, you may view your shopping basket at any time. This allows you to add, change, or delete items whenever you like.

3. Checking out
When you are ready to complete your order, be sure to review all of the items you have placed in your shopping basket. To checkout, follow the instructions on the screen to finalise your order. You may do an express checkout, create an account or use an existing account. Hit the “Proceed to checkout” button to move onto next steps.

4. Shipping and billing
Once you have logged in, you will need to provide your shipping and/or billing information, (be sure to note: billing address must be entered exactly as it appears on your credit card statement), choose a shipping method, and select your method of payment. We accept Visa, MasterCard and Paypal. If you are paying with a credit card, enter the number without spaces or dashes.

5. Completing your order
Be sure to review all of the information that you have provided, and make any necessary changes before clicking the 'Place Order Now' button. Once you complete your order, you will see a confirmation page with your confirmation number. Additionally, we will send you emails with your Order Confirmation information and when your order is shipped. Please note that as a result of our order processing, we are unable to change or cancel an order once it has been finalised. Please make sure your order is accurate before submitting it for processing. Also, please allow up to 1 business day for processing.

To determine your wrist size, please see our PDF here.

You can send the watch back to us to have the links adjusted to the needed size or go to an official Swatch store with your proof of purchase and get the strap adjusted for free.

Unfortunately you would not be able to modify an order online after payment.  However, please contact customer service if you would still like to do so, you can contact them on, 0027 11 911 1200 (From Monday – Friday 9:00AM - 5:00PM) or Email us on e-commerce.za@swatchgroup.co.za for further assistance

You will receive an email confirmation shortly after the order has been submitted which will explain the status of your order.

You may cancel your order at any time prior to the product(s) leaving the warehouse. Please contact customer service if you would still like to do so on 0027 11 911 1200 (From Monday – Friday 9:00AM - 5:00PM) or Email us on e-commerce.za@swatchgroup.co.za for further assistance.

You can place an order over the phone by contacting one of our Swatch stores.

The Swatch Online Store only accepts Visa and MasterCard.

Swatch uses the latest encryption technology to keep your credit card information safe. Thus, we require you to re-enter your credit card information for each order. When making a purchase at Swatch, all transactions are done by using SSL 3.0 encryption -- the Internet standard for secure transactions.

Orders will be processed only after an online approval can be confirmed. Following this, your card will only be charged when the order is shipped (upon leaving our warehouse). 

All Swatch orders from shop.swatch.com are shipped from our local facility.

Swatch delivers to main city centres and certain outlying areas as covered by our courier service RAM.

All Swatch deliveries are delivered from Monday to Friday.  

You will receive a notification email with a link to the RAM website once your order has been shipped from our warehouse. You can also contact our Customer Service Department on 0027 11 911 1200 (From Monday – Friday 9:00AM - 5:00PM) or Email us on e-commerce.za@swatchgroup.co.za for further assistance

If your RAM driver is unable to deliver the shipment, they will make one furhter attempt to deliver the parcel. If the deliver is still uncussessful the parcel will be returned to your warehouse and you will be notified.

You may check the status of your order - at any time - by visiting https://www.ram.co.za/tracking and entering your tracking number. You can also contact our Customer Service Department on 0027 11 911 1200 (From Monday – Friday 9:00AM - 5:00PM) or Email us on e-commerce.za@swatchgroup.co.za for further assistance.

If you are unhappy with an item when you receive it or if you simply change your mind please return it to us within 14 days, with the despatch note, having taken reasonable care of it and in an unused state complete with packaging and all components, and we will refund you the price you paid for that product (excluding P&P where applicable).

Please contact us by email to inform us of your wish to return Products. We will allocate you with a Returns Authorisation Code which should be included with the package to improve processing of your return. We will then arrange for the courier to collect the parcel from you athte address you have supplied us with.

You may return any unworn, undamaged merchandise purchased at a Swatch corporate retail store within 28 days for a full refund or exchange of the purchase price to any Swatch corporate retail location. Items purchased at a Swatch corporate retail store cannot be returned or exchanged to our online service center. 

Merchandise purchased online at shop.swatch.com may also be returned for an EXCHANGE only for another watch of the same value or higher to any Swatch corporate retail store. Merchandise purchased online at shop.swatch.com may not be returned at department stores.

Refunds can take up to 14 days to process from the date that the watch is received. 

If your merchandise has a significant defect right out of the box (e.g. the product is broken, has missing parts, etc.) or you have received the wrong merchandise, we'll be happy to exchange it. Please contact us by email to inform us of your wish to return Products. We will allocate you with a Returns Authorisation Code which should be included with the package to improve processing of your return. We will then arrange for a courier to collect the product at an address provided by yourself.

If you are unable to travel to a Swatch store we suggest to contact our customer services department using the following information:

0027 11 911 1200

e-commerce.za@swatchgroup.co.za

Swatch watches are designed as sealed units, whereby opening the case to repair or replace parts is not possible. We provide a 2 year warranty for all Swatch purchases to cover any possible manufacturing fault or issues and with proof of purchase inside of this time frame we can provide a replacement.

Please see below on how to create an account on store.swatch.com.

• Click on the My Account link located at the top of the homepage.

• Under the heading “New Customer” fill in the required boxes.

• Click submit to complete your account set up.

You can search for a specific item by using the 'search' box located in the upper right-hand corner of the screen. To access detailed information about a product click  on the page and detail specification tab.

When you're ready to complete your order, be sure to review all of the items you've placed in your shopping basket by clicking “My Basket” on the top right. To checkout, follow the instructions on the screen to finalise your order. You may do an express check out, create an account, or use an existing account. Click the “Proceed to checkout” button to move onto next steps.