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TweetEmailView the Swatch Irony Body and Soul photo gallery.As an engineer, it's always interesting to me to think about what a watch is designed for. In some ways, it's easy to make "The World's Finest Watch" if cost and time are no consideration. It's much harder, on the other hand, to make a world-class watch for the masses for under, say, $200. Engineering both low-cost and style into a mechanical watch is not a simple task.Today I'm reviewing a watch that tries for just that. Say hello to the Swatch Irony Automatic "Body and Soul". It's a skeletonized mechanical watch where both front and back are clear to allow an unobstructed view of the ticking heart inside. The movement is an ETA 2841 which is a modified version of the hugely popular 2824-2. Beating at 21,600 VPH, it simply displays hours, minutes and seconds. (VPH stands for "vibrations per hour." 21,600 means that the second hand moves five times per second �� a medium rate.)Swatch made a number of innovative modifications to the 2824-2 to lower costs and reduce part count. The beat was slowed, the date removed, the plates of the watch were integrated into the case, and the ability to "hack" (have the second hand stop when you pull the crown all the way out so you can set the time precisely) removed as well. Of course, you probably don't need a hacking movement in a watch without markings on the dial �� this is not a watch for the obsessively precise timekeeper!Moving to the outside of the watch, it's the usual size for a men's Swatch: about 36mm across and 13mm thick. The bracelet is alternating 3 and 5-link, with the center links hollow and hollow end links (another cost cutting measure). The stamped clasp uses a friction-fit with fliplock, secured with split pins. Although Swatch has their own end design, you can easily find replacement bracelets and straps on the internet in a variety of styles and materials. The crystal and caseback are both plastic, and it's rated as waterproof to 30 meters (about 100 feet), however since the crown doesn't screw down, I'd be hesitant to get it wet.As with all skeletonized watches, the main issue is readability. The detail, movement, and different colors of the movement make the hands harder to see, and the lack of hour or minute markers makes exact readings tricky. That's not the point of this watch, however. The point is to enjoy the movement, and to be able to watch its tiny beating heart. You can certainly do that with the Swatch Irony as the bridges and plates have been modified to display more of what's going on. The mainspring barrel is also opened so you can see at a glance how wound or unwound the spring is. The rotor spins merrily, visible even while worn from the front, and the balance at 12 o'clock is a blur of motion. The hands are thoughtfully filled in with white luminous material that doesn't last very long in the dark, but during the day, the white color actually improves the visibility.It seems to keep time to within a few seconds per day. I'd expect it to last many years, more if you get it serviced every 2-3 years. At 36mm, it sits very easily on a wrist and slides under dress cuffs effortlessly due to a low and beveled profile. If you like mechanical watches at all, this is a wonderful one to have. It's inexpensive (under $150), well-made, contains a genuine Swiss movement, and it's great fun to let people see just what's inside a ticking mechanical watch.View the Swatch Irony Body and Soul photo gallery.By Paul Hubbard

TweetEmailI came across an interesting site recently called timeanddate.com whichhas answers to pretty much any and all time/date related questions. Among theirmany articles and resources, I found an extremely thorough explanationof Swatch Internet Time, including a tool for converting Internet Time to "standard"time in about 130 different time zones.I wrote about Internet Time in my reviewof the Swatch Paparazzi (watch pictured at right). Internet Time is to timewhat the metric system is to measurement. It was invented by Swatch, and as faras I know, isn't much more than a marketing gimmick at this point, although Ipersonally think it's a pretty interesting concept. Internet Time does away withtime zones, and with the basically arbitrary units of 60 and 24. The day is dividedinto 1000 "beats" with each beat equaling 1 minute and 26.4 seconds. Since thereare no time zones in Internet Time, the time is the same all over the world withthe reference point being Biel, Switzerland, the location of Swatch Group's headquarters.This "new meridian" is referred to as BMT, or Biel Mean Time. Internet Time isexpressed by the number of beats proceeded by an "at" (@) symbol. For instance,2:27 PM in San Francisco is expressed as @997.I really like the concept of Internet Time for two primary reasons:It has the same kind of intuitive logic as the metric system.You don't have to worry about time zones. I often work with people all overthe world, and doing the conversions can be a pain.Of course, time zones do serve a very valuable purpose. They allow us to relatemore easily to other parts of the world. For instance, if I schedule a meetingat @997, and I'm expecting people from all over the world to join, I have no wayof knowing if @997 is in the middle of the night, early in the morning, or rightsmack in the middle of the day for the other attendees. Time zones, on the otherhand, allow me to get a relative sense of time so I can schedule meetingsat times that are convenient for all parties.Check out the articleon timeanddate.com for a much more thorough analysis ofInternet Time.