Update 10/6/15: starting today on Kickstarter, meshable
is back for second bite at the crowd funding apple. I liked this German
designed minimalist MechaQuartz when I previewed it back in July, but
the €200 ($224) price tag and €28,000 goal held it back. The new
campaign has a lower goal and an extremely attractive early bird price
of €139 ($156).
Mina Baldauf and Nemo Vucicevic of Düsseldorf, Germany have just launched the second model from meshable
watches (no caps) on Kickstarter. The chrono (still no caps) wraps the
increasingly popular Seiko MechaQuarz hybrid movement in a clean and
stylish minimalist package and delivers it on both leather and Milanese
mesh straps.
Now I
know it was not long ago that I listed the proliferation on minimalist
quartz watches as one of ten things that bug me about Kickstarter watch
projects, but the fact is, I love minimalist design. I really dig my
Uniform Wares watch, I swoon over Nomos, and get positively giddy in the
presence of a Junghans Max Bill Chronograph. What I hate, is cheap and
lazy "minimalism" hacked together by someone who wouldn't know Bauhaus
from an outhouse. I am happy to say that meshable does not suffer from
these failings.
The
chrono's stainless steel case is 39mm wide and 10.7mm thick. This
places it neatly into a sensible mid-size range so it should be an easy
fit for both men and women. It is a simple cylinder broken by a deep
groove delineating the bezel, and angular lugs. The chronograph buttons
are similarly unadorned, but the crown is knurled, adding a touch of
texture. Buyers may choose from three finishes: brushed steel, PVD
black, or PVD rose gold.
The
dial has two vertically oriented registers black with white baton hands,
and a white date wheel. Obviously, white-on-black is a high contrast
combination and a very common one. What makes the meshable different is
the choice of grey for the indices and brand name. There are no numbers
and no large markers. The tiny, low-contrast hash marks on the otherwise
featureless dial make those simple white sticks leap into focus. They
went low-key on the brand name too. It too is an unobtrusive grey,
tucked over at 9 o'clock. I wish they could have made the date wheel was
black as well, or eliminated it altogether to maintain the muted theme.
As it stands, the block of white at 3 o'clock steals a bit of
attention.
Seiko's VK61A MechaQuartz has two sub dials, an upper dial tracks minutes, and the lower dial is a small seconds running with the current time. The large second hand runs with the chronograph. It is a familiar layout, but a MechaQuartz
is unlike other quartz chronograph movements. A conventional, high
accuracy quartz module handles hours, minutes, and seconds. When the
chronograph is activated, a mechanical module takes over from the
quartz, providing a smooth,1/5 seconds sweep and crisp snap back on reset.
The
chrono is intended to be an everyday watch, and it is equipped for the
task with a durable and anti-reflective coated sapphire crystal, and
50m/5ATM water resistance rating. Each watch ships with two 18mm bands and a strap changing tool to better tailor the watch to your day. The first is a black or brown leather strap for a conservative dressy look. The
second is a Milanese mesh that complements the watch in both style and
name. I like a mesh strap on a smaller watch because it is a rugged and
practical choice that looks sophisticated at the same time.
I liked meshable at the old price, but at the new price of $156 it is very hard to resist. Check out the new campaign at http://kck.st/1Q4sYr1.
Pictures courtesy of meshable.
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