My family must have taken notice of my purchases of Omega x Swatch Moonswatch and Blancpain x Swatch Fifty Fathoms watches over the last year or so. They also know that I enjoy bright colors and racing chronographs. Thus, they gifted me this very cool Swatch Neon to the Max!
The Neon to the Max is based on a popular Swatch from the 90s called the Grand Prix (reference SCJ101). I was not familiar with this model, but was excited to receive it, and have been having fun wearing it!
Swatch Neon to the Max First Impressions
Because it was a gift, I didn't know what to expect when I opened the brightly colored Swatch box. I was greeted by a blast of fun colors.
A bright, translucent case houses a dial with neon yellow subdial and chunky bright orange hands. Even a neon crown and pushers add to the visual impact.
Swatch Neon to the Max Details
The inspiration from the original Grand Prix is clear. A friend has an original and shared the image below when I shared that I had gotten mine. The main changes are a huge size difference, subdial layout, and a metal vs. plastic crown.
Both versions use a mostly pink tachymeter scale on the dial, a nod to the racing inspiration for the Grand Prix.
Contrasting neon yellow subdials stand out against a dark blue dial, with an offset orange track.
They also correspond to the neon yellow translucent case.
Wearing the Swatch Neon to the Max
Despite being quite large and thick at 47mm x 14mm, the Swatch Neon to the Max is quite comfortable. The back of the case has a built-in curve that allows it to huge your wrist.
Being mostly plastic, it's also quite light.
Because it's obviously not intended to be a serious watch, I don't mind its large size one bit.
Swatch Neon to the Max Strap
The straps used on the Neon to the Max is a translucent blue resin with a modeled in diamond pattern. Due to the unique Swatch lugs, strap change options will be limited.
While feeling a bit cheap, the strap is comfortable and has a fun contrasting keeper that matches the case color.
Despite the busy multi-colored dial, legibility is decent. Large and thick orange hands are to thank for this.
At night there is a minimal amount of lume present. It looks cool but does not last long, or provide great legibility. It's clear that looking cool was the priority here (and I'm fine with that)!
Put it under a UV light, however, and everything changes. The Neon to the Max comes alive! Lots of different glowing colors are present. Don't have a UV light? You're in luck, you can purchase one from this site here.
The Swatch Neon to the Max Movement
The Neon to the Max appears to use the same chronograph movement as other current Swatch chronos. It can measure minutes, seconds, and tenths of a second as well as a lap time function. It has running seconds on a subdial, but no date.
The case is sealed, but battery changes are a breeze with the small metal access panel.
Conclusion
Often the appeal of a vintage-inspired watch comes from nostalgia, or it being easier to obtain than the original. In the case of the Swatch Neon to the Max, I was not familiar with its 90s inspiration the Swatch Grand Prix. This model simply looks cool and is super fun to wear!
Every time I wear this watch, even people who are not into watches ask me about it (one had somehow never heard of Swatch before). Swatch continues to do what it has done for decades and offers fun and unique style that appeals to a wide variety of people.
Specifications:
Name: Swatch Neon to the Max
Reference Number: SB06J100
MSRP: $160
Diameter: 47mm
Height: 52.5mm
Thickness: 14mm
Movement: Swatch Quartz Chronograph Movement
Water Resistance: 30m
Crown: Push-pull
Bezel: Fixed
Strap: Bio-sourced material