Sometimes we look for the next cool watch and overlook a well made, but not overly exciting watch. I am not going to say I overlooked the Brigadier, but it did take me a little while to get to writing about it. And it is a watch worth writing about on its own, since the Mercer Watch Company Brigadier on Kickstarter is a pretty three hander that looks like it is well designed and made, even if it is not super exciting.
February is now in the books, and with the second month of the year came a number of watch projects on crowd funded sites. Myself, I tend to favor projects listed on Kickstarter, and have purchased a number of them, but there are alternative sites, most notably Indiegogo. In addition to the projects below, I have longer reviews of the Nevo Watch, which is technically over but still collecting pledges in “bonus time;” the Trintec Zulu-07, running through March 7; the Melbourne Watch Company Avalon, running through March 16; and the Mercer Watch Company Brigadier, funding on March 29. I am also working on a write up of a new crowd funded design from Techne with is currently on Rockethub. I have a Techne, and the company has been on our pages several times, so I have no issue in recommending this project if you are looking for a military cockpit style quartz watch,
I am not a fan of the direction of most smart watches. I don’t need another screen on my wrist to give me my texts and emails. If the notification is so important, then I will look at my phone or computer. But I do see the utility in getting some notifications, especially if it is in a fairly unobtrusive manner. And this is where connected analog watches enter the field. Devices like the Nevo Watch connect to your smart phone and display limited information in the background, while the primary look of the watch is an analog watch.
Normally when I have an article title starting of with “Introducing”, we are bringing you news of a brand new model, or perhaps a hands-on of a piece that was just introduced. Today is more of the news sort, with it serving as an introduction to a new brand their watches.
Whytes Watches Mk1 02I enjoy a nice, slim, Bauhaus inspired, minimalist 3 hander as much as the next guy. I have more than one in my assortment of watches, but I see them too often to have them really pique my interest most days. What I do enjoy is seeing something different when it is well done, attractive and wearable. I see these qualities when I look at the Whytes Watches Mk 1 models, the Pioneer and Discoverer, currently seeking funding on Kickstarter.
I am a fan of Trintec, after finding one of their designs on Kickstarter, then reaching out to the brand for a review on the Zulu-03, the same watch we have up for our current monthly give-away. The brand built the first aviation instrument inspired clock, and now makes aviation and nautical inspired watches and clocks. Their latest watch, the Trintec Zulu-07 Professional, is currently on Kickstarter.
OK, it is not the end of the month, but I though I would bring out this month’s crowd funding wrap-up early so there is still time to back the projects before they close. Myself, I tend to favor projects listed on Kickstarter, and have purchased a number of them, but there are alternative sites, most notably Indiegogo. In addition to the projects below, I have longer reviews of the Zelos Abyss, running through January 28; the Cobra de Calibre Chronograph el Grande, running through January 31; The Manchester Watch Works Tatoskok, running through February 16; and the Elliot Havok, funding on March 7.
I first saw the Cobra de Calibre brand when the creator, John Lee, introduced his cushion cased first watch on Kickstarter. At the time, I really liked the style, but I had recently purchased something else, and didn’t have the cash. Then he brought out his bronze twin crown, which I liked a lot, but passed on because of another purchase. Now, he has a third watch on Kickstarter, the Cobra de Calibre Chronograph el Grande, and I will let you guess what is going through my head.
We see a lot of dive watches here at WWR. We even have a special category for divers, making your search on our site easier. Plus, I am a diver myself, so we enjoy writing up attractive and sensible dive watches. And that is where this retro inspired new diver comes in. The MachesterWatchWorks Tatoskok automatic is the third shot at the crowdfunding market, and I think they hit a good mix of design, features and value.
Hubris is an interesting thing in the watch industry. You have to have it, or else you are never going to put out a watch. It takes an ego to try and sell a product that (hopefully) lots of people will wear on a daily basis, especially in an already crowded market. But too much hubris and you come off looking silly. By the response that Elliot Havok Timepieces is having with their Kickstarter launch, they seem to have struck the right chord.
