When it comes to watches on Kickstarter these days, there are a great many of what I have taken to referring to as “me too” watches – another inexpensive slimline quartz that is barely distinguishable from those that preceded it. Not that that is anything particularly wrong with a slim quartz watch – it is just that there are so many of them without any real variation in design or styling. In the midst of all of that, we do get gems popping through from brands we have never heard of, and the Concept Watch O1 is certainly one of those.
Now, I will be the first to admit, the retro-futuristic styling of the Concept Watch O1 is certainly going to be divisive. Whether you come down on the side of liking or disliking it, however, you must admit that it is rather unlike any other watch we have seen on Kickstarter as of late. This is largely due to the 44mm case, which is made of polymethyl methacrylate, or PMMA. This is a thermoplastic, completely transparent that manages to be both lighter than glass and allow for greater light transmission. The brand also states it is highly scratch resistant, and will not age (or turn yellow) over time.
With this saucer of a case, the Concept Watch O1 sets the stage. To introduce some color into the mix, there is a central section (in either green, white, or black) that wraps around the movement (in this case, a skeletonized Miyota 8N24-E21 automatic). This is also works as a sort of dial, as it is where the indices are located. Spinning over the movement we have a pair of luminous hands, which helps them to stand out from the movement. While the idea of a skeletonized movement fits with the openess of the look of the Concept Watch O1, it does introduce a busy-ness to things. That itself a counterpoint to the austere case, and hopefully the filled hands stand out enough to maintain readability.
As I mentioned at the outset, the Concept Watch O1 is rather unlike anything we have seen on Kickstarter as of late. While this certainly does make it stand out, funding looks like it has been a bit slow-going. At the time of this writing, you can still jump in on an early-bird level that will net you a watch for $313, presuming the overall funding level of $27,115 hits prior to the project close on March 12 (at the time of this writing, they were at just over $6,000). While I have expressed my thoughts, I am curious to hear what our readers think of this particular design, and the state of Kickstarter watches in general. Sound off in the comments, or drop us a line – inquiring minds want to know! project-o-concept.com
Watch Overview
- Brand & Model: Concept Watch O1
- Price: $313 and up
- Who we think it might be for: You are super in to the retro-futuristic look
- Would I buy one for myself based on what I’ve seen?: Probably not – while the design is unique, it’s not my particular cup of tea
- If I could make one design suggestion, it would be: for the colored insert, let’s see if we can get a luminous version
- What spoke to me the most about this watch: How different it is from the rest of the Kickstarter crowd
Tech Specs from Project O
- Calibre
- Miyota 8N24-E21 skeleton, self-winding mechanical movement
- 11½’’’ lines
- Dimensions : Diam. 26.00 mm / height 5.55 mm
- Vibrations 21.600 per hour
- Shock-absorber for balance staff
- 21 jewels
- Functions: Hours / Minutes / Seconds
- Case – Glass
- PMMA (Colorless)
- Dimensions : Diam. 44.00 mm / Thickness 14.30 mm
- Crown Crown: screwdown, stainless steel
- Case-Back: PMMA (Colorless)
- Water-Resistant To 3 bars (30 meters) approx.
- Dial: PMMA ( Colorless / Black / Green )
- Hands
- Hours / Minutes : stainless steel, blue, skeleton
- Seconds : Baton
- Strap / Clasp
- Black Crocodile grain (padded profile)
- Diam. 20/18 mm
- Deployment clasp
