I know we’ve had a lot of these projects crop up here as of late, but it’s just that there have been a spate of interesting projects cropping up, and it’s how things shook out in the cycles, I guess. That out of the way, read on to see what Matt has to say about a new automatic project he ran across.
The watch genre is alive and well on Kickstarter, with another project popping up, the Tessera automatic (project page) from the Padron Watch Company. This is actually Padron’s second go at Kickstarter, having already successfully launched the debut Vuelta watch last year (currently on sale here for $512).
The Tessera has a beefy stainless case and bracelet, with NR coated sapphire up front, an exhibition caseback, and a claimed 150 meter depth rating. It is finished as either brushed stainless or black PVD. The brushed comes with either a silver or blue dial, while the PVD has a black dial. The dial is grooved in relief over 1/2 the surface, from 2:00 to 8:00, with a date window at 4:30 and raised hour markers on the chapter ring.
The marks are superlume and the hands are nicely done in red with a dot of lume at the tip. The two brushed versions have white second hands, while the black has a black one, which to me seems like it is going to be tough to read. Overall, there is a lot going on in the design, but it does not look busy. The first tiers are sold out, so the current cost of the watch is $399, with a jump to $439 once those sell out. With almost a month and a half to go still, the project is fully funded, and seemingly able to hit their stretch goal of $55,000.
The most striking element are the marks at 12:00, 3:00, 6:00 and 9:00, large circles that carry over the brand’s DNA from their previous watch. I think it is distinctive and interesting, but I am not sure if I really like it or not. Under the hood is a Chinese clone of an ETA 2824-2, though the watchmaker is holding the actual source close to breast.
He claims that his current source is of a superior grade to the more common Seagull. He considers the movement to be “capable of chronometer-grade performance and COSC certification,” though to me, that really doesn’t mean anything if you are not going through the COSC certification. Not that I need a watch to be COSC certified, none of mine are at current and at this price point, it would be silly to expect it.
Overall, I think it is a solid time piece and with the history of one successful watch launch under his belt, I expect this project to move smoothly and the finished product to be nice. For my tastes, it is a little chunky and the circular markings, while bold and distinctive, are just not my cup of tea. Still, this is a nice looking, solid watch.
