Do you want a carbon fiber watch, but don’t want to spend a ton of cash to get one, well, the Ventus Black Kite on kickstarter may be just the ticket. I covered the brand previously with the Caspian models, which were very successful and well received, with the exception of some issues with the lume. With carbon fiber, you can layer the material or you can shred it, melt it and mold it. This latter technique was used for the Tempest Carbon One, but the Ventus Black Kite is using the layering style.
For me, that is not a bad thing, since the layering provides a pattern to the carbon fiber, almost like a Damascus steel. The mottled look also has its charms, but I like this one better. In order to seal the watch, the Seiko NH35 automatic movement is housed in stainless inner case. the overall project looks very similar to the Caspian, right now to the sandwich dial construction with lume on the base layer. I like the look quite a bit, though judging from the comments on the Caspian, I would not go with the vintage lume look. The watch dimensions are the same, so I expect they are reusing the tooling from the first go-round for the dials, something that should make production go smoother (they did a B-Type dial to the A-Type if you prefer this style).
The bottom line for me is that I think it is a really cool project and an excited with the new low-price mark (for what I have seen) for a good looking carbon case. The company already has one watch project under their belts, so that is always a good sign, but this is a crowd funded campaign, so do your own research. The funding closes on February 12, and they are way past their threshold, so this project will be funded. Watch rewards are sitting at about $398 USD, with the early birds all gone. ventuswatches.com
Watch Overview
- Brand & Model: Ventus Black Kite
- Price: $569 AUD (~ $398 USD)
- Who we think it might be for: Anyone looking for a very modern looking Flieger inspired watch
- Would I wear one myself based on what I’ve seen?: Yes.
- If I could make one design suggestion, it would be: Maybe a carbon fiber strap.
- What spoke to me the most about this watch: The case.
Tech Specs from Ventus Watches
- Movement: Seiko NH-35 automatic
- Functions: Three hander
- Case: Carbon fiber
- Glass: Domed sapphire crystal
- Water resistance: 100 m
- Lug width: 22mm
- Straps: Not specified (looks like black leather or woven nylon fabric)
- Diameter : 42mm
- Length: 50mm
- Case height: 13.5mm
- Weight of watch head: 63 grams
