We get a lot of notifications of crowdfunded projects crossing our virtual desks here at WWR, and the honest truth is that we don’t always have enough time to feature all of them. So for you readers out there, check out the various platforms and search for watches, and for you budding watchmakers, don’t be discouraged if we can’t get to your project, and keep sending them in. One bit of advice I would give to a new brand is to make an attractive and unique (or at least somewhat unique) watch, and make it a value. Those categories fit the Stewart Dawson Belgravia Automatic, a new watch from a new watch company in London.
I mean that title literally, Kickstart a movement. OK, it is a watch movement, but it is a movement none the less. With this Kickstarter campaign (closing soon, I have been remiss in browsing the site), a group of industry insiders and outsiders have banded together to create a new watch movement that they hope to mass produce and compete against ETA and the other available mechanical movements. The Accurat Swiss Jonas K1 is the first watch to house this movement, like the Sistem 51 was the first watch to house that movement.
Rossling and Co. may not have invented the ultra-thin, minimalist Bauhaus inspired wrist watch, they may not have even been the first to put one for sale on Kickstarter, but they were the first one I saw after I started following the site, and they have certainly been successful. Each of the first two watches, the first a quartz and the second an automatic, both garnered well over $100,000 in pledges, and the newest release from Rossling and Co., a smaller dialed version, is blowing up as well.
The Benarus Moray is a watch that should be rather familiar to our readers, as we have covered the various versions (a review of the 42mm version for example). Most recently, we also brought you word of the new Benarus Vintage Moray. That article will serve as a sort of preview, as we have now been able to spend some time with the watch, and can give you our hands-on impression.
Max Büsser , along with his company MB&F (which stands for Max Büsser and Friends) has been…
If you find yourself drawn to watches that take design inspiration from industries outside of watches, we have shown you over time how Projects Watches can fit that bill. The pull designers from all walks of life and put together some rather interesting designs. No, personally do not find myself drawn to each and every one, but I can certainly appreciate the decisions that go into making what they make. One of their more recent releases is the Projects Watches Meantime.
I have made no secret over my affinity for the watches coming from Mühle-Glashütte. There is just something about their refined-yet-utilitarian designs that grabs my attention. One of the more recent models, the M29, also spoke to my background on working with dial gauges in a previous life. Well, if you liked that overall style, but find yourself more drawn to aviation watches, then perhaps the Mühle-Glashütte Terrasport I Beobachter is more to your liking.
I don’t get to wear my 1701 from Detroit Watch Company, my wife stole it from me. Well, steal is a tough term. I really like the styling of the watch, but she isn’t into watches the same way I am, and she rarely comments on what I wear, let alone take an interest in one. That changed with this watch. So with domestic tranquility in mind, I allowed her to permanently borrow the watch. She is tall (almost 6 feet) and has always liked large watches, so this model worked for her. But if you are not into the look of a 44mm case that stands proud at 13.5mm, You now have options. The Detroit Company 1701 Ponchartrain and L’Horloge models are available for pre-order in 39 mm x 11-12 mm cases.
When it comes to RJ-Romain Jerome, they do certainly have a distinctive way of going about things. They like to create watches with unique materials (say, using metal from the Titanic) and interesting dials (my favorite? The Batman DNA, of course!) Often, the focus is on the exterior of the watch, with the case and/or dial taking pride of place. Well, this definitely changes around with the RJ-Romain Jerome Skylab 48. Sure, the case is very familiar for the brand, but the star of this show is the movement.
TokyoFlash Japan is no stranger to our site, and if you have been reading us for a while, you should know that they produce a wide range of interesting digital watches, frequently with very unique ways to show the time. For their newest release, the TokyoFlash Japan Kisai Logo Wood LCD Watch, they actually have a pretty straightforward display, unless you want to go cryptic, and they have an option for that as well.