Zwift’s $1,195 Watch That Measures Nothing
The company that taught us to watch watts through an entire winter of indoor training has just released a watch that won’t show a single one. Zwift has teamed up with Swedish watchmaker Bravur to build a limited-edition mechanical watch. The price is about $1,195 (before US tax), €1,395 in Europe, and £1,099.95 in the UK. Only 100 numbered pieces went out worldwide.
A watch that deliberately isn’t a smartwatch
This isn’t competition for Garmin, COROS or Suunto. The watch has zero GPS, zero heart rate monitoring and zero power. It’s a classic mechanical watch built around the automatic Sellita SW200-2 movement, the wind-by-wrist-motion mechanism used in proper Swiss timepieces.
The specification reads like watchmaking, not sports tech:
- 37 mm stainless steel case.
- Sapphire crystal glass.
- Water resistant to 100 m.
- Assembled in Sweden.
The package includes a vegetable-tanned brown leather bike bag.
Where Zwift shows up
All the detail sits on the dial. The Zwift logo sits at 12 o’clock, surrounded by references anyone who has ridden a virtual lap of Watopia will recognise. A power-up symbol sits at 3 o’clock, a lightning bolt for generated watts at 9 o’clock, and a thumbs-up, the platform’s “Ride On”, at 6 o’clock. Each watch’s individual number is engraved on the case back.
It’s a gadget for insiders. Someone with no connection to Zwift will just see a nice, expensive watch. Someone who has spent hundreds of hours in the trainer’s pain cave will spot the details immediately.
Does it make sense for a triathlete
Practically none. You’ll still wear a GPS sports watch for training, and this one will sit in a drawer or on your wrist outside training hours. It’s a collector’s and lifestyle piece, more jewellery for cycling fans than sports equipment.
The launch does point to a trend worth noting. Zwift, which built its position on trainers and data analysis, is moving into the luxury segment, a sign that endurance brands are increasingly targeting the lifestyle market and selling a sense of belonging to a community.
Summary
The watch is interesting but entirely unnecessary for training. The limited run of 100 will sell out fast among collectors and the platform’s most loyal fans. For amateurs counting watts and seconds, the basic tool remains GPS hardware with a heart rate strap, not a classic automatic that only measures time.