Today, friend of WWR is bringing us word of two very different projects on Kickstarter – a wooden variety that brings a Miyota automatic movement to the table, as well as a true “art piece”.
The first is yet another wooden watch (that makes 3 from when I started following the site), the Slab. What really sets this watch apart from the previous two on the site is that the Slab features a Miyota 8215 automatic movement with a textured face, all for the low price of $165 for early backers. They have two styles, and I think the one out of skatedeck plywood is the more attractive.
I expect they use the plywood blanks, but it would be interesting if they re-purposed used decks, which might really appeal to the skaters out there. The company behind the project, Slim Timber, has experience making non-traditional wooden products, with a line of wooden wallets. With this background, I would expect that the manufacturing and delivery process may go a bit smoother than some ambitious Kickstarter projects.
The Slab features the Miyota 8215 automatic movement, which is non-hacking and has about a 40 hour power reserve. The textured face is another nice detail that I really don’t see a lot of in entry level watches. The wood used here, pressure treated maple, has a claimed water resistance of 5 ATM, which makes it OK for swimming, but not scuba.
The next project is for a commissioned, hand painted watch face with a quartz movement under the hood. The Schmutz (which is Yiddish for dirt, an odd choice for a name) starts at $180 for a hand painted face ($145 if you just want the basic watch) with your choice of color for the strap. At 47mm, this is a large watch. The curved case back will probably add to the wear-ability of the piece, but this is not for those that want to keep a low profile. With the custom painted watch, you also get a print of the design.
The technical specs on the watch are a little thin, instead focusing on the artistic elements, which is really the focus of the project anyway. The movements are a generic sounding “custom Swiss quartz” (what makes them custom, and why go to the expense unless you are doing something interesting with them?), with a claimed 30 meter water resistance, but I would not push it. The straps look to be nicely done and a bit rustic, with deployment clasps.If you want to really go the art lover route, there is a limited edition of 10 pieces for $500 each for a custom bit of pop art for your wrist.
