SWC Sport DLC

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Manufacturer: Swiss Watch Company | Price: $389 USD (£299 GBP, €325 EUR)

The long awaited Sport watch from SWC has finally arrived at Zaltek Reviews. I’ve been looking forward to getting this one in for review for what feels like an absolute age. As most of you should know by now, I’m a “certified watch enthusiast” just as much, if not more than some of you guys. So as you can imagine, I’ve been following the progress of this on YouTube from the owner of Swiss Watch Company (SWC) Stephen, along with his son Josh. In fact, rather than me just bumping my gums in this short introduction, here is a link to their channel with a full overview of the SWC Sport.

Specifications

  • Dimensions: Diameter – 40.8mm, Thickness – 11.9mm, Lug to Lug – 46.2mm, Lug Width – 22mm
  • Movement: Fully Regulated (x6) Sellita SW200, Automatic, 28,800vph (4Hz), Hackable, Self Winding
  • Case Material: DLC Coated 316L Stainless Steel
  • Strap: Fully Integrated Black Silicone, 316L Stainless Steel Milled & Signed Clasp
  • Crystal: Flat Sapphire, 6 Layers of Anti-Reflective Coating (Underside)
  • Bezel: Fixed, DLC Coated 316L Stainless Steel
  • Water Resistance: 100m / 10ATM / 330ft
  • Lume: Swiss Super Luminova® BGW9
  • Crown: Signed, Screw Down
  • Caseback: Screwed Down, SWC Design with Logo
  • Warranty: 3 Years       Overall Weight: 83g (On Silicone Strap
  • Where to Buy: Swiss Watch Company      
  • Options: DLC/Stainless Steel (DLC +$20), Blue, Burgandy, Green, Black Dials

Swiss Watch Company, A Brief Introduction

"Swiss Watch Company (SWC) was founded in 1996 by Stephen Roemer and got its start making watches for the armed forces and first responders. We produced watches for these organisations until 2008, which is where we began facilitating manufacturing for other watch brands. To this day, we still handle the manufacturing for many reputable brands, but our real goal was always to create our very own line of watches. In 2018 we launched a successful Kickstarter campaign for our SWC Diver and have since delivered watches to a multitude of very happy customers all over the world."

Case & Crown

The case of the SWC Sport has a diameter of 40.8mm. The lug to lug is 46.2mm and the overall thickness, including the sapphire crystal, I measured in at a very nice 11.9mm. The entire case, caseback, bezel and crown are all DLC coated 316L stainless steel. The finishing itself on this DLC model is entirely matte black with the addition of chamfered edges that run along the side of the case, over and twist down slightly over the ends of the lugs.

The SWC Sport has a water resistance rating of 100m, which is plenty for a sports watch and it’s all thanks to the screwed down caseback & screw down crown. The proportions of the watch, in my opinion are nothing less than perfection for my 6¾″ wrist, due to the relatively compact dimensions. The SWC Sport wears perfectly on wrist and it’s very comfortable.

The signed crown is very nice, not too big or too small. There is absolutely no wobble whatsoever when the crown is in use either and you can also feel a very nice wee pop as you unscrew it. You can also see and feel the amount of work that has gone into the crown, making it feel rather premium when in operation. The caseback is screwed down, with a SWC kind of chequered design as well as their own SWC logo. There’s also the usual various specs listed around the edges.

SWC Sports Watch Review
Apologies for the poor quality image

Strap / Bracelet

Fitted as standard to this stealthy SWC Sport DLC is probably one of the best integrated silicone straps that I’ve ever seen fitted to a microbrand. Not only is it fully custom fitted to the case (which is fantastic), it’s also one of the most comfortable two piece straps that I’ve ever worn. There are a couple of minor negatives regarding this strap however… it can be a bit of a fluff magnet, but it’s nothing a quick rinse under warm water can’t resolve (as you can tell from my images). Also, on this DLC model, SWC shouldn’t have bothered with that silver logo on the strap. I’m sure it will be fine on the stainless steel model, but not on this all-black stealth model, it just doesn’t fit the overall aesthetic of the watch.

There is the option of a stainless steel bracelet, even for this black DLC model, but unfortunately they weren’t quite ready when Josh sent out this SWC Sport DLC for review, so I can’t really comment on its overall build quality. Going by the quality of the SWC Diver though, that I reviewed last year, I’d put money on it that the quality & comfort are exceptional.

Movement / Accuracy

The chosen movement for the SWC Sport is the Swiss made Sellita SW200. A fantastic calibre that is a 28,800vph, 4Hz, smooth sweep, 26 jewel automatic movement with self winding, hacking and a very respectable 38 hour power reserve. Checking the accuracy after running the SWC Sport for around 3 weeks, mainly on my wrist and occassionally in my watch winder, I was more than happy with the results, with the SWC Sport DLC showing an average of just +4.2 spd. Swiss Watch Company do also state that each and every automatic watch is now regulated to 5 positions before being shipped. 👍

Dial & Bezel

The SWC Sport has a fixed bezel with a matte finish and nicely done chamfer at the base. It is of outstanding quality, with an excellent overall fit & finish. The only text on the dial, which is on the inner ring and printed in white, are the words SWISS MADE. It is a tiny bit off-centre though on this prototype, but this will be fully rectified for the production model. The logo just under the 12 o’clock position is applied, with a stealthy black Swiss Watch Company logo just underneath.
 
The full black DLC version that I have here, sports a very clean overall design with a brick pattern effect in the centre looking great, with its slightly recessed inner section. As you can see in the images, the hour and minute hands are very nicely done too with their proportionate design. The seconds hand reaches right out to the minute track and SWC did inform me there will be lume added for the production model. For once, there’s actually nothing I’d change, design wise.

The dial itself is constructed of two main pieces, the center portion as well as the outer ring. The outer ring is the standout feature of the SWC Sport DLC, as it’s constructed from a single piece of ceramic and given a matte finish, after which the raised index markers are recessed then filled with a boat load of Swiss Super LumiNova®.

Lume

I always bang on about lume with pretty much 100% of watches that I review, mainly due to me being a total lume junkie! Sometimes though it can be an afterthought, or even a blatant cost cutting exercise by some brands. Well, SWC haven’t disappointed on the lume front. It is very good being evenly and rather thickly applied. It’s definitely well above the average, especially for a sports watch. Oh yeah, I almost forgot… the model I have here is actually a prototype, so the lume will be even better on the production models. The lume that SWC have chosen is Swiss Super Luminova® BGW9.

Conclusion

I waited quite a considerable amount of time to get the SWC Sport in for review. I initially requested the blue dial in stainless steel as well as on bracelet, but apparently a reviewer in the US was taking too long, so Josh asked if I would like to take a look at this all-black DLC model. I’ve never really been a fan of DLC coated watches and being honest, I really should have waited for the stainless steel model. However, as DLC watches go, this is definitely one of the best I’ve seen, second only to the much more expensive Norqain Adventure Sport DLC.

All I’ll say to finish off is, this Sport DLC model from Swiss Watch Company is an outstanding watch and should definately be on your short list, if you’re in the market for a very unique, excellent value sports watch. Get one, you won’t regret it!

Swiss Watch CompanyExcellent job and I’m really looking forward to seeing your next timepiece!

Design
9.5/10
Quality
9/10
Value
10/10
TOTAL