There are certainly no shortage of watches popping up on crowd-funding sites these days. There are so many there days that we have actually dialed back our coverage. A lot of that is due to an abundance of very (VERY) similar watches coming out with little differentiation past a dial color and logo. Then you have something like the Automat Oro Dato that is rather unlike what has come before it, and then it merits some discussion here on these pages.
After dive watches, I would hazard a guess that pilot watches are the next most popular style – in general – of watches. And if they aren’t, they have to be in the top 5, just based on the sheer number of models that I have seen released. A lot of these tend to come from the more established brands, or those with a particular history with aviation watches. What I have not noticed near as much are pilot-style watches coming from independent brands, especially those using Kickstarter to get the ball rolling. As you might guess, that’s where we find the MEW Depth Pilot.
Do you have a medical professional in your life? How about someone aspiring to be a medical professional? While the practice of checking one’s pulse manually has fallen by the wayside with modern medical devices, it can’t hurt to have a very hand backup device, or just own something that pays homage to that tradition. The Christopher Ward C9 Pulsometer Limited Edition Chronometer makes it easy to measure a heartbeat. And it is a pretty nice looking watch to boot.
Patrick and I have both had a chance to check out Borealis dive watches in the past, and we both have been left with the impression that the brand is producing great value dive watches. This trend look to be continuing with the Borealis Seafarer II, now on pre-order from the brand and scheduled for delivery in May/June 2016.
There are a couple of American brands that we have been able to forge relationships with here at WWR, and I am proud to say that Detroit Watch Company is one of those. This is the second of their watches I have been able to check out in person, the first being the 1701. Let’s just say I liked that watch, so I had high hopes for the Detroit Watch Co M1 Woodward. At least for me, they are now 2-0 (can’t say the Lions are doing that well, sorry Patrick).
Lew and Huey is a brand that I look to when I want to talk about the potential success of the crowd funded marketplace. The brand began on Kickstarter, with multiple watches launched on that platform, all well received. I put the brand in the category of “friend of the site,” and they are always happy to send us information on upcoming watches and then lend us review copies when they are available. I first wrote up the Phantom in April, and now I have a chance to take a two of the three options out for a test drive.
Finding out about new watches from brands we like is especially fun. You get to learn about what is new and changed on existing models, and sometimes even see something brand new being introduced. A lot of that sort of information happens in dribs and drabs, or in the giant flood known as BaselWorld. Well, Magrette likes to do things their own way, and they simply sent out an email detailing what was coming for 2016, to give those interested a chance to pre-order. So, with that background, let’s have a look at what is in the cards for Magrette next year.
I will be the first to admit – I am a sucker for watches that include tritium tubes. While many of them definitely hit more of a tool- or sport-watch feel, there are ones out there that take things in a more classic, or even dressy, sort of a style. I like that juxtaposition of a classic bit of watch styling mashed up with, well, atomic age technology for illuminating the watch at night. While they live in the luxury end of the segment, the watches from Ball certainly fit that bill, and their latest, the Ball Watch Trainmaster Cleveland Night Express, looks to be another interesting iteration.
It was back in July that we first brought you word of a new Dutch brand, Van Speyk, and their inaugural watch. As I concluded in that writeup, the Van Speyk Dutch Diver had a thread running throughout it – familiarity with differentiation. That observation was all based off of what I was seeing in the photos. The question loomed, however – would that impression hold up after seeing the watch in the steel?
Boschett is not a brand we have written about for awhile, and things had been relatively quiet. Then, not that long ago, we received word of a new model they had coming out, with the pre-order currently underway. While we looked at their Reef Ranger previously, their Harpoon lineup seems to be popular as well. So, with that, let’s take a look to see what the Boschett Harpoon Spirit of Essex has to offer.
