Origin stories for crowd funded watches are long past redundant at this point, especially if you search out for these projects. What I really care about is how the watch looks, and is it a good enough value to jump in and take a chance. With the Ventus Caspian Watches currently funding through April 25, the watch looks great and the value seems to be there.
The watch styles themselves are not revolutionary, Flieger inspired watches are easy to find, but there is a reason why the style persists, it looks good. Here the style is housed in either brass or a sandblasted PVD gunmetal case. As much as I like brass, I may actually prefer the PVD here. There are two movements available, a Seiko NH 35 hacking automatic in the three hander or a Seiko Mechaquartz in the chronograph.
I have not owned a Mechaquartz movement, but it is supposed to provide the smooth movement of a mechanical watch with the reliability and battery power of a quartz. Both styles utilize a sandwich construction for the dial, with the hour indexes and numerals cut out from the black dial to show through to the lighter color base plate below. The brass watches use a blue/green Superluminova paint, while the PVD watches use orange.
The watches are a moderate (by modern standards) 42mm with a domed sapphire crystal bringing it to 13.5mm thick. It is rated to 100m of water resistance. This looks to be the brand’s first offering, so there is a risk in backing the project, but even with the early bird watches all but gone, the risk is a moderate $228. This is on the low end of what I see, especially with automatic watches, but it is not so low that it would make me wonder if they can deliver. If you decide to jump in, drop a note below and let me know what pushed you over the edge. Project Page
Watch Overview
- Brand & Model: Ventus Caspian Watches, C-01 through C-04
- Price: $299 for any of the models
- Who we think it might be for: Anyone looking for a Flieger inspired watch on a budget
- Would I buy one for myself based on what I’ve seen?: Yes.
- If I could make one design suggestion, it would be: Move the 12:00 marker on the automatic into the chapter ring like it is on the chronograph.
- What spoke to me the most about this watch: The sandwich dial is a nice feature.
Tech Specs from Ventus Watches
- Movement: Seiko NH-35 or Mechaquartz
- Functions: Three hander on the automatic, chronograph and date on the Mechaquartz
- Case: Brass or PVD stainless steel
- Glass: Domed sapphire crystal
- Water resistance: 100 m
- Lug width: Not specified
- Straps: Leather NATO on the automatic, waxed fabric (from the looks of it) on the chronograph
- Diameter : 42mm
- Length: 50mm
- Case height: 13.5mm
- Weight of watch head: Not specified
