We’ve seen some crazy watches.
A watch powered by mammoth ivory. A tape-reel watch. This thing.
But the wholly unique timepieces that we would actually want — and can afford — tend to come via Kickstarter.
Such as the Soloscope Automatic Watch, available now for preorder.
The brainchild of Xeric (“makers of unusual and affordable mechanical watches”) and the two brothers behind watch curation site Watchismo, the Solo tells time in a wholly unique way.
Think of it as the Harvey Dent of timekeeping: on the left, you witness the mechanics, where an exposed face showcases twin balance wheels. On the right: an unusual display with one single “halo” encircling the hour and pointing to the minutes, with a separate disc showcasing the seconds.
The rig is powered by the natural motion of your wrist: wearing the watch spins a rotor, which in turn stores energy to power the movement. And it ain’t hurting for looks. Read: a PVD-coated 316L stainless steel 49x42mmm case with a sapphire-coated K1 crystal lashed to a tasteful Horween leather strap.
Xeric is only producing 999 in each color (gunmetal, rose gold, all black, black and white, gold, and silver), and shipping the final product in November. All for just $399.
For those seeking an even cheaper option, Xeric’s already-funded Kickstarter has unlocked some perks. They’re offering, among other options, a battery-powered RQ and SQ Quartz for $239 as well as a Halograph Chrono Quartz and the Xeriscope Squared, notable for its 10 ATM water resistance.
Overall, the Solo reminds us of a few other amazing timepieces we came across on Kickstarter over the years. There have been more than 2,000 watch projects on the crowdfunding site — some bold, some simple, some with a potential we’re still waiting on years after the brilliance of the concept wore off.
But these four we liked. And respected. And we hope to add the Solo to the list.
Klok-1 by Klokers: You can wear these unique tickers as a wrist or pocket watch. And the Klok-1 resembles a slide rule: it has three circular, counterclockwise-rotating discs for hours, minutes and seconds in lieu of hands.
The Bradley by Eone: A tactile, titanium timepiece with front and side ball bearings so you can both see and touch time.
Pebble Time: The sequel to the original 2012 smartwatch (and original Kickstarter record-breaker) raised over $20 million in 2015 for its colorful e-paper timepiece.
Havok Watches: The Everlane/Warby Parker of watches, a company that offers handsomely minimalist timepieces for super low prices by cutting out the middleman (during the Kickstarter funding period, you could pick one up for $69).
This article was featured in the InsideHook newsletter. Sign up now.
