Another new watch brand has launched on Kickstarter, hoping to emulate the success of previous attempts like Klokers.
The brain-child of the Crowder ATP Watch is James Rea, who is part of the second generation of a family of jewellers and watchmakers.
The inspiration behind the launch came from the World War Two era timepiece that Rea inherited from his grandfather.
This vintage look is evident in the watches, with Rea trying to put a contemporary spin on a classic aesthetic by equipping it with a modern 1069 quartz movement from Ronda for reliability.
"When I started wearing my grandfather’s watch, a lot of my friends were admiring it and asking where they could get one like it," reflects Rea. "Even though jewellery is my family business, I couldn’t help them, as many vintage pieces have ceased to work and are too much upkeep for day to day wear. I was inspired by my grandfather’s watch and by my knowledge of traditional craftsmanship to create a modern watch with that same classic style, made from the same traditional materials but that you could just wear every day and not worry about."
Rea has stayed true to many of the elements of his grandfather’s watch. The brass case and domed acrylic glass are materials directly inspired by the vintage timepiece.
Another nice touch is the presentation case of the watch, which is based on a World War Two ration tin and a guarantee card based on Second World War ration coupons.
Rea is looking to raise money on Kickstarter in order to pay for the final assembly and quality testing in his family workshop. His page can be viewed here.
