OK, I am kidding a bit, the world is not waiting for another deign driven watch, regardless of what half the projects on Kickstarter want you to believe. But design is important, I am am willing to wade past the breathless introductory message if I like the look of a crowd funded watch project, and I like the look of the Meshable Watches Chrono, currently seeking backers on Kickstarter. I do like minimalist watches, and this project is clean and functional, and not at all crowded despite the chronograph movement.
The movement is one of the things that tipped me to covering this watch; I like that these entry level projects are using the Seiko VK61A MechaQuartz movement instead of a straight quartz movement. One of the things that I dislike about quartz chronographs is that the hour hand has to rotate all the way forward back to zero, as opposed to the flyback instant reset of an automatic. The mecha-quartz movement has a more pleasant sweeping motion, “ticking” 5 times a second, and is reset with a flyback movement. The 39mm watch also has a sapphire crystal up front, and straps have a quick change pin. No, this is not revolutionary, but it is still a nice addition.
There are three case options, a brushed stainless or a PVD black or rose gold plated case, all with a black dial with minimal markings, both for the chrono eyes and for the chapter ring. For a pledge of approximately $155 (the actual pledge is in Euros, so the final cost will be based on the exchange rate when the project closes), you can still snag one of the early bird watches. The watch is just about a the funding threshold, so it is very unlikely that the project will not go through. Since this is a crowd funded project, I will add my standard warning that you are supporting the development of a watch, not making a retail transaction, so do your research on the project before you decide to jump in.
This is the second crowd funded project for the brand, and the second shot at funding this watch. On the company’s web site, they show a three hander with day of the week indicator with a similar design aesthetic, but it is listed as sold out. The project was on Indiegogo, but was not funded. I spoke with the team behind the brand and they informed me that they had a limited number of watches produced after they could not get the project funded, and those watches sold out quickly. Having at least this limited experience in having a watch produced (especially one that shares a lot of DNA with the current project), should make this project’s production go a bit smoother. meshablewatches.bigcartel.com
Watch Overview
- Brand & Model: Meshable Watches Chrono
- Price: ~$155 to $180, depending on timing
- Who we think it might be for: You want a minimalist looking chrono.
- Would I wear one myself based on what I’ve seen?: I might from time to time.
- If I could make one design suggestion, it would be: Lose the date window. The white date wheel clashes with the look of the watch.
- What spoke to me the most about this watch: I like the clean look.
Tech Specs from Meshable Watches
- Movement: VK61A MechaQuartz “Hybrid” movement
- Functions: Chronograph, date
- Case: Stainless steel (optional black or rose gold PVD)
- Crystal: Sapphire with A/R coating
- Water resistance: 50 meters
- Lug width: 18mm
- Straps: Leather strap and stainless steel mesh band
- Diameter: 39mm
- Thickness: 10.7mm
