Last year I became a citizen of Australia and feel very privileged to live in this glorious country. However, I do miss the United Kingdom and in particular its proximity to Europe. There was a time when our son (now 8 years old) was a baby and went on several cruises. Probably the highlight for me was a 7-day Scandinavian trip which embarked at places like Amsterdam, Tallinn (Estonia), St. Petersburg, Helsinki, Copenhagen and Stockholm. As an avid fan of Danish and Swedish dramas, I was very keen to visit these locations. Certainly, they exceeded my expectations and in my opinion were the epitome of style. That is why it is no surprise there are a lot of exciting brands like Pauli Caspieri emerging from this region.
Until a few weeks ago I was aware of Pauli Caspieri but was captivated by the inspiration behind the company. As a watch designer, I am aware of how important a good story is linked to the success of a brand. Over the last few years, I have created several bespoke Swiss mechanical timepieces with the help of some exceptional craftsman. As my son was a huge motivator I decided to name it after him (Paolo Mathai Horology). Adopting a similar type of philosophy, the founder of Pauli Caspieri (Michael Sjöselius) named the business after his children. Essentially Pauli is derived from his daughter Paulina and Caspieri from son Caspian.
Like most start-up brands Pauli Caspieri decided to launch their debut model called the Gran Turismo on crowdfunding platform Kickstarter. Literally yesterday I was talking to watchmaking friend who feels this platform is the future of the industry. There is no doubt that many businesses have used this portal as a launch pad to great effect. I am also sure that Michael will enjoy the success he deserves because he is offering a stylish Swiss made chronograph at a realistic price.
Candidly speaking the Gran Turismo isn’t trying to re-invent the wheel and the stylish façade is pretty traditional by modern standards. However, for a starting price of €160, I feel you are getting a lot of bang for your buck. Features like the 42mm 316L brushed steel case (also available in rosé gold) with unidirectional bezel, pushers are really effective. Other details include sporty chronograph counters, raised indexes and hands coated with a luminous BGW9 coating. There are also numerous different colour dials (Race blue, Diamond black, Ferrari red, British racing green and Pearl white) to chose from. As a finishing touch, Pauli Caspieri has equipped the watch with a reliable Swiss made Ronda 5040.D 13-Jewel quartz movement.
To purchase one of these cool Gran Turismo watches on Kickstarter follow this link
