The Sistem51 is probably the most interesting watch introduced at Basel 2013, unfortunately it's not until almost SIHH 2014 that we actually saw the watch come on sale in Switzerland.
I've obtained a few and here are my impressions: (disclaimer, I purchased these for resale but will attempt to maintain neutrality in this overview).
The watch, like the iPhone 5C, can be said to be "unapologetically plastic" both inside and out. The watch is almost ironic because of how it satisfies many haute horologerie requirements. There is no dust whatsoever inside the watch, it's immaculate. The escapement is held by a full bridge and is even "free sprung" (but not variable inertia). Adjustment is quite good with amplitude around 270 degrees and a promised 5 second accuracy, presumably on the wrist. I found it was +10 vertical and spot on flat.
The watch features 90 hours of power reserve, this is partly due to the 21.6k vph frequency, precision lubrication and assembly by machine only, and plastic escapement that is likely both light and self lubricating.
A few unusual review notes:
The rotor is undirectional (clockwise winding) and seems to rely on a very high gear ratio since the oscillating weight is plastic.
Hand winding is possible, but it requires turning the crown an unusual counterclockwise.
There is an ETA stamp on both the watch itself as well as the movement.
The movement does not hack
Date change occurs between 11:30 and 1:00 am
Different colours come on different straps. The white version comes on a plain silicon strap, while the black comes on a apparently leather strap, and the red one comes on a stitched silicon strap.
Straps are much more comfortable than I expected.
The rotor sounds a bit loose when shaken, but all 6 I have here have the same sound.
The rotor gives a kind of lightweight but noticeable "Valjoux wobble" when rotating counterclockwise.
Escapement is louder than most watches, probably due to the plastic casing.
Enjoy the photos below!
*My wrist is 6.25" and quite flat
Hi,
ReplyDeleteI have the red one and like it.
But I am a bit worried about the noise. Is it the same with yours that you hear the rotor turning counterclockwise from 2-3meters in a quiet room? Nearly every movement of my arm makes the rotor rotating and can be heard.
Best regards
Markus
Hi Markus,
DeleteThe rotor is quite loud and I'd say the level of noise you have is normal. It's not so dissimilar to the loudness of a Valjoux 7750 though, depending on the case material.
The rotors for both of my Panerai in-house automatic movements (which cost a few dollars more than the sistem51) are also very noisy.
ReplyDeleteWhich movement are you referring to?
Delete