Latest Review
*Check out our full review of the Riedenschild Swihanic here.
Let me start by saying that this was one of my more impulsive purchases to date, but one that I absolutely do not regret. So… I was doing my usual browsing of the forums, looking for good deals and interesting watches to discuss, when I came across the Riedenschild Swihanic II.
What on Earth is this? I thought… Never heard of the brand, no idea what “Swihanic” means, but the look of the watch called out to me. It had a white face with a silver seconds dial that is positioned at 5 o’clock, two big crowns, and an internal bezel for a second time-zone. Certainly, for about $275 (new) it was worth a deeper look. When I saw that it featured a decorated hand-wound movement, called the GeMatic 0788 (which turns out to be a Unitas base) and had a domed sapphire crystal, I was sold. I knew this was a watch for worn&wound, since it combined a unique style with seemingly high quality components and a great price.
After a quick and very pleasant transaction with the previous owner (thanks again!) my Swihanic arrived. The watch comes strapped to a pillow in a very nice and fairly compact leather case with a snap closure that I could definitely see using for travel purposes later on. And then, there’s the watch… It is big, shiny and utterly gorgeous. At almost 46mm x 16mm and 55mm lug-to-lug this thing is truly a large watch that stands out. The white face is about as crisp as porcelain and the slightly opalescent silver seconds dial is sort of mesmerizing (when it comes to watches, I am easily mesmerized). The body has a fairly classic shape, but the details are very interesting. The two crowns are branded, easy to grab, and sturdy. The movement, which is visible through the case back, is decorated with Geneva stripes, blued screws and is quite easy on the eyes. The straps (mine came with two due to the previous owner’s interactions with Riedenschild) are very nicely made and look right with the watch. Build quality: very good.
Thus far, I am super pleased with this impulse buy. I don’t for the life of me understand how Riedenschild can put this much quality into a watch that costs $275. I mean, similar watches cost close to grand or more…but I’m not complaining!
Full review and gallery coming soon!
