Crowdfunded watches CIGA Design J Series

Welcome to another roundup of some of the crowdfunded watches that have caught our eye this month.

Crowdfunded Watch Roundup: July

CIGA Design J Series Zen Karesansui Mechanical Timepiece

This watch makes a rather bold claim to allow you to “Experience the embodiment of flowing time & Zen aesthetic upon your wrist”. Hyperbole aside, it’s an interesting approach to telling the time, using a floating hour hand on top of a three-layer dial.

The watch definitely looks different to the norm, and CIGA Design should be applauded for that. The £300 price tag might put off some potential purchasers, especially with a relatively low-end Miyota 8N24 movement, mineral crystals and only 3ATM of water resistance, but you’re paying for something truly unique that uses hardly any off-the-shelf parts.

Click here to visit the CIGA Design J Series Zen Kickstarter campaign page.

BackFire Automatic Watch

The BackFire Automatic Watch integrates and automobile’s transmission system, apparently, which creates what the brand calls “the super unique watch”. And who are we to disagree? If you missed it on Kickstarter last month, you have another chance to pick one up.

Another unique design, the BackFire has an eye-catching deep down dial with a unique case design that, like the CIGA, really breaks the mould of what a watch is meant to look like. The £278 price tag is again understandable given the lack of off-the-shelf components. 

Click here to buy a BackFire watch on IndieGoGo.

Victoriaoscuro Tourbillon Watch

Another watch we featured before, this time in February, Victoriaoscuro – which we still find near-impossible to spell – makes a heavily Hublot-inspired watch based around a Chinese Tourbillon movement. The price – £712 – will put many potential buyers off , though. 

Click here to order a Victoriaoscuro Tourbillon watch.

Buying a Watch on a Crowdfunding Site

Remember that Kickstarter is not a shop, it’s a place where you can back new businesses, That means you will have a wait before the watch you preorder arrives, and there is always a risk of losing your money. Don’t let that scare you off – read our guide to buying a watch on Kickstarter to find out more.

IndieGoGo is a little different, in that the product does not always need to meet a minimum level of backing. This can increase risk, but in the case of the two IndieGoGo watches we’ve featured this month, the makes say that they have them in stock – or will do imminently.

By Mike Richmond

Mike spends what little spare time he has writing for WRUK; and what little money he makes building up his collection of timepieces.

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