Evarii Modular Watch, Presto-Change-o

When a new, or at least fairly novel, watch product shows up in the market (and by market these days, it is increasingly on crowd funded sites), I like to take a look at it. We are being more selective in what we cover in the crowd funded market, but the Evarii Modular Watch, currently seeking funding on Kickstarter, is worth a look (actually a second look, since Patrick gave a sneak peek in February); it is also a sister brand to one we have covered a bit in the past, Egard. Evarii sent me components to mix and match two different watches, so I had a chance to play around with the concept.I will say off the bat, that I am probably not the target audience for this watch. The watch case has three parts; there is a watch module, a round puck, and then a larger watch case that the puck slips into, as you can see above. The puck is threaded around the crystal, so a screw down bezel then locks the watch module into place. As a way to swap out watch components, it works very well, and it is secure. The idea is to buy a kit consisting of watch modules, cases and straps, and then swap the components to get a fresh watch look whenever you want it. I already have more watches than I can wear in a fortnight, so I pick a different look every day anyway. But if you are on a budget, or love a specific dial or case shape, this is a way to get some variety on your wrist.

The brand sent me one automatic and one quartz module, two bezels, two cases, and two straps; enough to mix and match two different watches. If I were building my own kit, and the rewards for backing the campaign let you do exactly that, I would have selected parts that mixed a little better. For what is shown above, the two bezels work out on the cases as shown, but the brushed bezel does not go well with the polished case (the black bezel does go with the brushed case though).

There are a total of 10 different mechanical watch dial options and five quartz options. Each of the quartz options is a version of the “Grim” above, with a skull set in relief. The white on white is actually quite nice and understated enough to fly under the radar in a business situation, if that is your personality. There is a good depth to the watch with the detailing on the skull and the geometric background pattern. The automatic dial is a basic three hander with date. There are solid color options with applied indexes and numerals at the ordinal points, and a color burst option with Roman numerals. They don’t specify the movements, but Evarii informed me that the automatic movement is assembled in the Far East and that the quartz movement is Japanese.

Probably the weakest link in the concept for me is getting at the crown. There is a little groove machined into the case where the crown and stem slip in, but I found that the crown sat a little close to the case, making it slightly annoying to adjust or wind. If I were thinking about the concept, it would not be enough to make me say no, but it was a slight issue for me. Beyond that, the concept works fine. My hands were not really designed for delicate work, so sometimes it took me a moment or two to align the bezel before I threaded it on, but that was not an overly big deal for me either. The watch straps, five NATO options and 3 leather options, all come with quick change pins, so swapping out straps is very easy. There are also two bracelet options, though I did not have a chance to check those out. With 10 strap options, 10 bezel options, 5 outer cases and 15 watch modules, there is a staggering 7,500 different looks you can have with these 40 components.

On the wrist, the watches are comfortable. The NATO strap was, well, a NATO strap. The polished hardware on the strap looked nice, and it wore comfortably. The leather strap was also very nice. It is a thin leather stock, but the suede finish has a nice hand and it is very comfortable. The rounded case fit well under the cuff of a dress shirt. The squared off case was definitely a larger presence on my wrist, but it was not too large for my tastes. The campaign does not specify the case size, but their web site shows the cases to be 43mm in diameter. It would be tough to get too small since they are, in essence, creating two cases, one for the module and one to surround the module and get it on your wrist.

As of this writing, the campaign has about three weeks left, and they are sitting at 35% of their $40,000 goal. The brand is looking to promote themselves, so there is a contest on the campaign page, and they are asking for backer submissions for additional components. The earlybird basic kit, where you get enough components for a single watch is $145 for an quartz watch and $160 for an automatic. For $310, you can get a kit similar to what I had to try out, a quartz and mechanical module, two outer cases, two bezels and two straps, but you can pick exactly which parts you want.

This is a crowd funded campaign, so keep in mind that you are backing the development of a product, not buying a watch. There is the possibility that production will be delayed, the project may change, or even fail to deliver. Yes, this is a new brand, but the man behind the product is already producing and selling watches, and what is being promised can certainly be made at these prices. I encourage you to look at the campaign and do a little research if you are going to back this, or any crowd funded project. If you are already a backer, or become one in the future (or just want the weigh in on the concept), please leave a comment below. evariiwatch.com

Watch Overview:

Brand & Model: Evarii Modular Watch

Price: Early bird watch rewards start at $145 for the quartz and $160 for the automatic
Who we think it might be for: If you like to change up your look, but want to limit the number of actual watches you own.
Would I wear one myself based on what I’ve seen?: I have enough watches, so it wouldn’t get much time with me.

If I could make one design suggestion, it would be: Do both dials with either movement option.
What spoke to me the most about this watch: It is a well designed concept.