Now, in popular vernacular, being a “yes man” is not something that many of us would aspire too (if you’re not sure what this is, just envision Smithers from The Simpsons, and you’re a long way there). There’s a new Kickstarter project that just recently started up (and already hit 100% funding) that is hoping you can overcome that association.
Yes Man Watches is a company (and a Kickstarter project) started by a couple of guys who quickly realized that the 9-to-5 work life wasn’t exactly what they had hoped it was going to be. So, rather than becoming “yes men” themselves, they’ve set off trying to create their own vision, saying yes to their own goals and dreams.
Of course, that’s the message they’re trying to convey to those who would be looking to wear the watches they’re making. For those who haven’t quite made the leap yet to pursuing their own ideas, the dial of the watch itself carries a sort of simple goal (or reminder) – the 5 o’clock marker has been replaced with a martini glass (I’ll take mine up with blue cheese olives, please).
The watch itself is fairly unremarkable (for Kickstarter pieces) if you just run down the spec sheet – a 42mm stainless steel case housing a Miyota quartz movement isn’t that different from a variety of other watches out there – so what makes this one different? Obviously, dial design is something that makes the watch stand out. The real star of the show is the strap and buckle that they’ve come up with.
The 24mm strap has a series of notches added onto it, and these are caught as you slide the strap through their custom buckle. In theory, this looks like it should provide a more “custom” fit than you’d get from a normal tang buckle. Frankly, I’m surprised an idea like this (it calls to mind those fabric belts with the friction buckles) hasn’t hit the market before. The one potential drawback I see with this design is that the buckle is fairly bulky.
Bulk may be a small price to pay, though, to jump in on this sort of innovation. For me, I’m awaiting to see the thing in the steel (yes, we’re working on getting a sample in for review), to see see how much of an impact that buckle has on wearability. For those who are looking to take the leap of faith, you can get in on this project at the low price of $59 (for just the strap and buckle), or $109 if you want to have the watch along with it. The project is funded as of this writing, so we should see the watch come to fruition, which is an obvious plus this early in the campaign. Let us know what you think – is this buckle enough to seal the deal for you?
