From a pretty young age I have dreamed of travelling to the picturesque Hawaian islands. I remember watching programs like Magnum PI and Hawaii Five-O as a kid. The scenery looks absolutely spectacular and the all year-round tropical climate is very appealing. A few years ago George Clooney showcased the delights of this region even further in his fantastic film called The Descendants. As if this wasn’t enough of an incentive I will also have the opportunity to meet watchmakers like Richard Paige and Mark Carson.
A few years ago Mark Carson informed me of a watch he has just launched on Kickstarter in collaboration with Richard Paige. Although the project is marketed under the RPaige name, the original concept is essentially Mark’s. In fact he came up with the idea even before he actually met Richard. Ultimately it was their shared passion for ‘Art Deco’ designs that led to the creation of the Duo Face and this watch (Crash of ‘29’).
In a lot of ways this project has a lot of parallels to the watch I designed with Frank Heydrich. Initially I was going to promote the Polaris on Kickstarter but felt the price point maybe too high. Normally products launched on Kickstarter perform well under the $1,000 threshold. That is why I was surprised at their starting point of $2,400. However, the Rpaige name gave the project a lot of traction and it they comfortably reached their $30,000 target.
Visually the Crash of ‘29’ has a really exciting and original appearance. The geometric lines of historical 1920/30’s American structures like the Empire State and Chrysler buildings have inspired the façade of the watch. What makes this timepiece so special is the formidable 57mm x 49.7mm ‘Art Deco contoured trapezium polished steel case. This sublime characteristic perfectly interacts with the matt black and white dial. There is a sense of theatrical about the Crash of ‘29’and it is clear that these guys have had a lot of pleasure creating this watch. Details like the trapezium shape small second counter and sculpted hour/minute hands really elevate the design. Certainly at this price point I feel this timepiece will appeal to a lot of watch enthusiasts.
When Mark Carson originally came up with the design, his idea was to use a Unitas 6497-1 movement. This all changed once Richard Paige came on board and opted to use a restored vintage American hand winding pocket watch calibres (Waltham, Elgin, or Illinois). Essentially this means that every timepiece will be slightly different and unique. Functionally the Crash of ‘29’ features hours, minutes and small seconds. The watch also has a power reserve of approximately 40-hours and is water resistant to a depth of 50-metres.
The Crash of ‘29’ is limited to only 49 pieces and has a high quality brown leather strap with a stainless steel buckle.
