The end of the year has been a pretty busy one for me in my day job, so I have not been able to track crowd funded projects as closely as I normally do, nor as closely as I like. As a result, a number of watch projects have slipped by me. For the watches projects that are still active, I was able to write up the Helgray Silverstone, which had monster support; the Tempest One Forged Carbon Watch, which I really like; the Astoncain, a project that still has a shot; and the Ferro One Hander, the project I am most likely to back right now. So if you did not get a watch for the holidays, consider supporting one of these projects, or the projects I am highlighting below in my crowd funding wrap-up for 2014.
First up is the SWAE Veteran Watch, the second offering of this design, and the third watch project for SWAE. The case looks a bit like a diver, except without the rotating bezel, and the width of lugs gives it a little bit of a cushion look as well. The green accents will certainly make the watch stand out, and the patriotic heritage is unmistakable. It is a big watch at 53mm, with the Seiko/Pulsar VD53 quartz movement and mineral crystal. Watches are still available for $99, and the project is close to hitting their funding goal. The project closes on December 31 in the early afternoon, Pacific time.
The next project is an automatic that comes out of an unlikely place, with the design inspired by the people of Tibet. The Ndro watch company’s Dorge Watch looks to be in a diver case as well, though this time 45mm, with an unmarked bezel. The brushed stainless case houses the ever popular Miyota 8215 with a decorated rotor visible through the exhibition caseback. I like the green second hand and the red N of the logo, adding a bit of flash to this otherwise understated design. There are (as of this writing) a couple of watches left at $390, and the project has already hit the $15,000 funding goal.
Moving to a pure dress watch design, the Erroyl E30 is another automatic that has hit its funding goal, but there is still time to jump in. The E30 uses the newer Miyota 9015 movement, which is slimmer and has a higher bear rate and more jewels that the 8250. The 40mm stainless case is available with either a black or white dial, or in a rose gold plated case with a white dial. The black and white are available for about $235 US ($289 AUD), and the rose gold is $10 more. Early adopters of the black or white dials versions get an extra strap (the rose gold with the extra strap is sold out). Sapphire crystals are provided for the front and the caseback.
Lastly, for this edition, is another watch from a novel location across the globe. The Impi Automatic is a design out of South Africa by Uhuru Watches. The project closes on January 9, 2015 and is about 1/2 way to the funding goal. The stainless cushion case features two crowns, one for setting the time and date, and the other for the internal rotating bezel. The 44mm stainless case has a double domed sapphire crystal and houses a Miyota 8215 movement. There are two dial choices, black or a muted yellow, and either can be shipped on a black or tan strap. As of this writing, there are two $199 US rewards still available, and once those are gone, the pledge level jumps about $50 to $249 US.
If you have a watch project out there now, and I did not get a chance to feature it on our site, I apologize for the missed opportunity. If you have a project you like and we have not yet featured it, or if you are putting together a project, reach out to us and we may be able to get your project on our pages.
