Not to brag, but we were the very first publication in the world to go hands-on with the Sistem51, getting a prototype off a Swatch executive’s wrist at Baselworld 2013. Ok, totally bragging. But it’s a little hard to overstate just how exciting it was back then to see a giant company like Swatch invest seriously in mechanical watchmaking and the proposition that mechanical watches could be a mass-market business. The watches themselves are fun (I own one and still wear it regularly), but it was what the Sistem51 said about the state and future of the watch industry that really mattered.

Since then, Swatch has introduced new seasonal colors, expanding on the original four watch collection. Because the dials and movements both feature printable surfaces, Swatch can easily create new designs. Other than cosmetic changes though, a Sistem51 you’d buy today is exactly the same watch as what I first strapped on three and a half years ago. Today’s announcement of the Sistem51 Irony collection is the line’s first serious update.