I can’t believe how popular Kickstarter has become for budding entrepreneurs. Previously if you had a good idea it would involve trying to secure funding from financial or private institutions. This isn’t an easy process because potential lenders require comprehensive business plans. Even if the idea is great it can deter even the most enthusiastic designers. It is true that a lot of concepts are not successful on Kickstarter and price definitely is an important factor. However if the project is managed properly and the marketing is correct the results can be astonishing.
A few weeks ago I published an article featuring RPaige’s wonderful ‘Crash of 29’. Interesting designers Mark Carson and Richard Paige chose Kickstarter to launch this project. I was surprised at their decision because Richard is pretty established (in the watch industry) and the price $2,400 starting point was high for this platform. Normally watches marketed well under the $1,000 yield the best results. Within a few days (with a bit of editorial support) Richard and Mark achieved their $30,000 target. This means their phenomenal ‘Art Deco’ inspired timepiece will be produced this year. As a result of this I would seriously consider using Kickstarter to promote a special limited edition version of my (in collaboration with Frank Heydrich) Polaris watch.
Recently I communicated with a talented watchmaker called Mengu Evrensel who owns a brand called Remy Cruz. About 18 months ago I wrote an article about their superb and innovative Rébellion Sauvage. This watch has various handcrafted elements that are manufactured from titanium and 18-karat gold. It also is fairly exclusive and has a price tag of $11,172US. This is why I was surprised when Mengu informed me that his latest project (under the name of MEW) will be launched on Kickarter and will retail at around $200. The watch in question is a trendy Japanese Solar powered Chrono called the Tactical 004.
From recent conversations with Mengu Evrensel he explained the concept behind the Tactical 004. Essentially when he first embarked on this project he wanted to produce a heavy duty OPS watch at an affordable price. Certainly he seems to have achieved this goal. Although the watch on the surface appears to have a generic design there are some interesting features. For example the gloss black bezel looks cool and perfectly interacts with the textured dial. Other details include three sporty chronograph counters, screw down crown and pushers. I also feel the well-proportioned 48mm x 44mm x12 mm stainless steel case will appeal to a wide variety of masculine buyers.
For more information about this project follow the link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/32037295/1179413487?token=50f5781b