Chow Sang Sang: Heritage Jewellery With a Modern Soul
Since 1934, Chow Sang Sang has turned gold, diamonds and jadeite into pieces meant to be worn, treasured and passed on.
Swatch Review 2026 — Is the Swiss Icon Still Worth Buying?
Swatch did something in 1983 that the Swiss watch industry had stopped believing was possible: it made a Swiss watch cheap enough to buy on impulse, and desirable enough that people bought several. Four decades later the formula still works, though the reasons have shifted. This is a watch brand that sells design and personality rather than heritage and mechanics — and it is honest about that.
What You Are Actually Buying
A Swatch is a plastic-cased quartz watch with a Swiss movement, assembled in Switzerland. That sentence contains the entire proposition. The movement is reliable and inexpensive to service, the case is light enough to forget you are wearing it, and the design changes constantly — which is the point. Nobody buys a Swatch because it will be inherited.
The Design Archive Is the Real Asset
No other watchmaker has a back catalogue like it. Collaborations with artists, museums, film franchises and fashion houses have produced thousands of variants, and the brand rereleases archive pieces regularly. That turnover is what makes collecting them interesting — and what makes a specific model disappear permanently once it sells out.
Build Quality and Longevity
Expect a Swatch to last years, not decades. The plastic case and crystal will pick up scratches in normal wear, and the resin strap will eventually discolour and crack — straps are replaceable, and aftermarket options are plentiful. What does not fail is the movement: quartz Swiss movements are extremely reliable and inexpensive to replace entirely if they do stop.
Water resistance is specified per model and worth checking rather than assuming. Everyday splash resistance is standard; swimming requires the higher rating, and a watch rated for splashes will not survive a pool.
Sizing and Comfort
Cases run from small, classic dimensions to oversized statement pieces, and the light weight means larger sizes remain wearable in a way a steel watch of the same diameter would not. The straps are the variable worth attention: silicone and resin suit daily wear and water, while the fabric and leather options look better but age faster.
Prices and the Value Question
Swatch sits in the bracket where you can own several without it being a financial decision, and that is the correct way to evaluate it. Compared with a mechanical watch at ten times the price, a Swatch keeps better time and costs nothing to maintain. Compared with other quartz fashion watches, the Swiss movement and the design credibility are the differentiators.
Where It Falls Short
If you want a watch that will appreciate, look elsewhere — these are consumables by design. The plastic case does not age gracefully under heavy use, and the constant rotation of designs means the model you liked will be gone. Battery replacement is an occasional chore, and the resin straps are the first component to look tired.
Who Should Buy a Swatch
Anyone who treats a watch as an accessory rather than an investment, people who want a light, colourful second watch for weekends and travel, and buyers looking for a genuinely Swiss-made gift at a price that does not require justification. If you want one watch for the next twenty years, this is not it — and Swatch would be the first to say so.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Swatch watches actually Swiss made? Yes — Swiss movements assembled in Switzerland, which is unusual at this price point.
How long do they last? Several years of normal wear. Straps typically need replacing before the movement does.
Can I swim in one? Only if the specific model's water resistance rating says so. Check the product specification rather than assuming.
Do they hold value? No, and they are not designed to. Buy them for design and wearability, not resale.
Disclosure: This article may contain affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices and availability can change at any time.
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