If you’re tired of the more traditional watches we see all the time, you might be ready for Paul DuPuis. DuPuis watches follow a different path, come from a different heritage. They’re based in England, and you wouldn’t be too out of order if they remind you of Richard Mille. And they’re crowdfunding right now.
What’s in a DuPuis?
The watch is a sandwich construction. Take the Swiss ETA 2824 movement. wrap it in a protective holder made of carbon fiber. Place a dial made of sapphire on top, an anti-reflective crystal and caseback made of sapphire above and below that, and then sandwich the whole thing with Damascus steel sourced from Japan.
Where does it all happen?
Interestingly, in England. Usually with a crowdfunded watch, it’s common to see the watch construction and assembly is done in China, with a Swiss movement. There’s nothing wrong with this approach, necessarily.
DuPuis does it a little differently. They say the steel is Japanese. The movement is Swiss. The parts are all packed up from around the world, shipped to England, where they assemble them.
OK, so I’ll back it. What do I get?
You’d get to choose between Rose Gold, silver colored steel, and Gunmetal black. You’d get to choose between a variety of silicone rubber cases. And, you’ll get a watch winder for it to live in when you aren’t wearing it.
If you decide to back this watch on kickstarter, you’ll get all of these with the 100M water resistant watch, starting at about $838 USD. Check it out at PaulDupuiswatches.com and back it at Kickstarter.com
Watch Overview
- Brand & Model: Paul DuPuis DMS|001
- Price: Earlybird pricing starts at $838
- Who we think it might be for: You like the watches Rafael Nadal wears
- Would I buy one for myself based on what I’ve seen?: I like the job they’ve done.
- If I could make one design suggestion, it would be: I would have explored some other color combinations for the dial. You get rose gold, silver, or bright yellow. I am not digging bright yellow as hard, personally.
- What spoke to me the most about this watch: This is a quality watch, with assembly outside of China. That’s unusual.
Tech Specs from Paul DuPuis Watches
- Case size: 41.5mm, 50 lug to lug
- Height: 13mm
- Case material: Damascus Steel and carbon fiber
- Crystal: sapphire
- Strap: silicone rubber
- Movement: Swiss-made ETA 2824
