This summer, Mrs. Time Bum asked to
borrow a watch. She needed something suitable to wear to the beach and
the pool. As you might imagine, I leaped into action, proudly displaying
my collection, pulling one after another from the drawer and regaling
her with their many exciting features. She was unimpressed. They were
all too big, or too expensive, or too ugly. Undeterred, I rattled off
several suggestions for purchase but she cut me off. "Really," she said,
"all I want is a fun, waterproof watch that I don't need to worry
about, like a Swatch."
Swatch? The cheap and cheerful
plastic watches from Switzerland? Ok, but for this task, not just any
Swatch will do. The water resistance of most of their models is only
30m. You can get away with immersing one of those for a while, but if
you are buying a watch for the express purpose of swimming and water
sports, you can do better. Like their amusingly named Scuba Libre.
The Serifos SUU0100 model Mrs. Time Bum chose is a bright tangerine with a rich blue dial and bezel. Like
most Swatches, it is has a plastic case, quartz movement, and an
exposed battery out back. You can unscrew it yourself, or take it to any
Swatch Store for a free replacement. Unlike other Swatches, the Scuba
Libre line is rated for 200m water resistance.
It is not a small watch. Those of us
who grew up with the 34mm Original Gents model will be shocked at its
girth. The company site lists it only as "L" but that is an
understatement. The case is 44mm wide and a whopping 16.6mm thick. I
figured this would kill my wife's interest, but quite the contrary, she
quickly fell for it.
I snagged it for a day and found it fit me quite well. The
watch may be big, but it is relatively short from lug-to-lug (49mm) and
lighter than a jellyfish fart. I liked the bowed sides, rounded lugs,
and soft shape of the case back. It has a marvelously organic quality,
but the crisp edge on the top side prevents it from looking too
bulbous.
We
discovered that many models in the Scuba Libre line were busy and hard
to read, which is the very opposite of what you need in a dive watch,
but I suspect the target buyer is more likely to choose this watch for
fashion, not function. Mrs. Time Bum wanted both, so Serifos was the
best pick. The lovely dark metallic dial pops against the orange case.
Small white markers, white-on-black arrow hands, and a light blue second
hand provide high contrast.
The layout is simple and open with plenty of breathing room. It is a
slick, shimmery look that is very satisfying and easy to read. There is
some lume on the hands, but not much. The glow is nothing to write home
about and fades quickly.
The wide bezel is a matching blue
color with raised orange and white markers. It dwarfs the small dial,
which is a bit unusual, but I find it rather appealing. The action is
positive, moving through the detents with solid clicks, little effort,
and without any slop or back play. The push-pull crown is 7.5mm, which
is a proper proportion for the case and easy to operate. Like the case
and bezel, it is made from blue plastic.
Typical of Swatch, the Serifos comes
on a proprietary strap composed of soft synthetic rubber that matches
the orange case, textured with vertical ribs and secured with a plastic
buckle. We found it to be quite comfortable, which is a good thing
because you can only swap it with another Swatch strap.
I had modest expectations for the
Scuba Libre. Although I have fond memories of the Swatch Gents I wore
back in the day, I am not a great fan of plastic cases, but I was
pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed wearing this one. Swatch has
managed to deliver a cool, stylish, and functional diver's watch with
bags of charm. Best of all, it sells for just $90. Given its weak lume
and the absence of a screw-down crown, I'd be hesitant to take it on a
deep dive, but I would not think twice to take it on more common aquatic
adventures. The Serifos is cheap, useful, and unapologetically bold.
For under $100, it is hard to resist.
Pro: Wild style, high water resistance for the price.
Con: Poor lume.
Sum: A perfect beach watch. The Time Bum and Mrs. Time Bum both approve.
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