When in 2013 Swatch announced the introduction of a new, cheap, and revolutionary automatic watch, it was hailed as a milestone in watchmaking. The Sistem51 has proved so popular that a second production facility is being built in Boncourt, Jura, to supply the Asian market, above all. So what’s so special about it? Firstly, the entire manufacturing process is automated, and all production takes place in Switzerland. Many other watch companies use Chinese components. The Sistem51 uses just 51 parts, like the original quartz Swatch watch, whereas most mechanical watches have upwards of 100. (SRF/swissinfo.ch)
