As you are no doubt aware, watches on Kickstarter have become quite a thing as of late. We, through Matt’s efforts, have covered a lot of them. Lately, though, we have restricted ourselves to the more interesting products, because there are a lot of “me too” thin quartz watches cropping up. While what I am going to be talking about today is indeed a quartz three-hander, the design merits a mention. With that, let’s take a look at what the Joogii J1 has to offer.
When I first saw photos of the Joogii J1, I felt it had a very Braun feel to it, mostly because of the yellow seconds hand. I do not think that mental association is an accident, as their materials do indicate that they specifically went for a very Bauhaus feel. On the whole, the handset is elongated, stretching out to the edges of the dial – which means these are long hands indeed, as this particular case measures in a 45mm.
This larger case also makes for a big dial “canvas” to work with on the Joogii J1. Fortunately, things are kept clean, with minimal printing on the dial. In fact, the only hour numerals that appear are the 12 and 9, with an arrow head and date display taking up the 3, and the brand name taking the place of the 6. If it were up to me, I’d scrap the 12 and the 9, and move that arrow to the 12 position, but I suppose the design team behind the watch had a good reason for these decisions.
That is a relatively small detail, and one that probably would fade into the background as you wear the Joogii J1. The brand intends the watch to be unisex (with angular lugs getting the strap close to the wrist), but it is still a large watch. However, if you (be you male or female) like a larger watch on your wrist, you’ll be at home here.
Sometimes, when we see watches that focus heavily on design, even quartz driven ones (it’s a Ronda 715 in this case) the price gets driven up. In this case, you can jump in on the Kickstarter project (ending November 15) for a very reasonable $129 (the lowest funding level currently available), with the pricing topping out at a still-affordable $139. While I have a few minor issues to pick with the design, the overall effect is solid. If you find yourself drawn to Braun watches, but want something a bit more affordable, then the Joogii J1 is one you need to check out. joogiidesign.com
Watch Overview
- Brand & Model: Joogi J1
- Price: $129 and up
- Who we think it might be for: You like a good Bauhaus-style Braun, but want something that is easier on the wallet
- Would I buy one for myself based on what I’ve seen?: Not likely – while I appreciate the desgn, this particular execution is not for me
- If I could make one design suggestion, it would be: Drop the hour numerals, and put the arrow at 12 o’clock
- What spoke to me the most about this watch: The affordability of the watch even with the focus on design elements
Tech Specs from Joogi
- A modern, PVD-coated 45mm stainless steel casing with a defined profile
- Swiss Ronda 715 3H movement
- Robust 24 MM genuine leather strap handmade in the USA
- Unique angular lug design
- Clean, minimal face
- Sapphire crystal glass
- 5 ATM water resistance
