Melbourne Watch Company

As an enthusiast and collector of affordable mechanical watches, Sujain Krishnan originally started his venture into the world of watch making through building homage style pilot and military watches for the online enthusiast community. However, being totally unsatisfied with building others' designs, he set out to create his own brand of original mechanical timepieces.

From this idea, the Melbourne Watch Company was born. The Flinders Automatic is the first original design and was created after research into affordable dress style watches. Named after Melbourne's iconic Flinders Street Station, Sujain wanted the brand's first timepiece to be one which would not look out of place among higher end watches.

Each watch boasts high grade 316L stainless steel with a slim case height of only 9.8mm. Perfect to be easily slipped under a shirt cuff with a suit, or for easy, comfortable wear. Under the hood, you'll find a top grade Miyota Caliber 9015 self-winding mechanical movement. This 24 jewel automatic movement operates at 28,800 BPH and has a power reserve of 42 hours when fully wound.

The dial is multi-layered and features a guilloche center and stainless steel markers. The date is shown at the 3 o'clock position. There are two color options - a white dial with silver markers and black hands or a black dial with silver markers and silver hands. The dial and hands are framed by flat, anti-reflective sapphire glass.

The Flinders' other specifications include:
Case: 40mm
Glass: Flat Anti-Reflective sapphire 
Hands: Hour/Minute/Sweep Seconds
Water Resistance: 5TM/50m
Strap: Genuine leather (20mm tapering to 18mm at buckle)



Sujain tells us that the retail price will be 525 AUD or around $480 USD. There is currently a fundraising campaign for Melbourne Watch Company, and you can check that out here to get entry level backer perks.

Chicks with Watches are big fans of MWC, and its founder Sujain Krishnan. Though, we have not physically seen the pieces, judging by the pictures alone, this is sure to be a hit among collectors.

CwW Spotlight Chris Vail

Chris Vail
Owner, Lew & Huey Watch Company

When Chris "Doc" Vail became frustrated at the lack of affordable automatic chronograph watches on the market, he decided to design his own. Vail is provocative, straight forward, and assertive, and he is our latest CwW Spotlight.

Q: Tell us a bit about your background. How did you decide you wanted to design watches?

A: Long story, but to try to make it short...I spent my career in sales. I was a rock star early on, but took a wrong turn, then the recession started, and it's been one long rough patch ever since. I lost a lot of what I once had. I ended up in a job I absolutely hated, when a friend of mine told me about his brother in law, who started an ecommerce business out of his basement, and is now raking in millions. It sounded better than working for people I despised who treated me like shit and paid me even worse.

I was actually looking into a completely different industry and product when I got fired. The next day, the water heater broke, and a day later my watch stopped. It was sort of a "Eureka!" moment. I never really "wanted to design watches". What I wanted was to do something I enjoyed doing, and it just turned out to be starting a watch brand. I'd never designed anything before.

Q: What was your first watch?

A: Pretty sure I had a Mickey Mouse watch as a kid. Think it was a Timex. 

I'm sure I had a bunch of crap watches along the way, but the first watch I remember wanting and buying was the Casio AMW 320. I was in the Army, and a lot of the guys in my unit wore them, or G-Shocks, but I always preferred the thinner case and the simpler, mostly analog face on the AMW. I've had two of them, and still think they're one of the best bang-for-the-buck watches you can own. I just did a giveaway with one to celebrate 5,000 posts on Watchuseek.com. $50 worth of awesome on a strap. Ya can't beat it with a stick.

Lew and Huey Riccardo Automatic

Q: What is the origin of the brand and its interesting logo?

A: A lot of things - it's complicated...

I've been involved in other businesses, and found it can be really hard to pick a great name that isn't already being used, the domain isn't already taken, etc. Case in point, I was going to call the brand "Lucky Star", but there's a guy in California who'd trademarked that name for a line of children's watches. He wasn't even using it any more, but when I called him to see if he'd give up the trademark so I could use it, he threatened to sue and hung up on me. 

When I first started looking into the watch biz, I noticed all the online chatter about "Germasian" and "Mushroom" brands - watches made in Asia, mostly China, with Chinese components, yet the brands pretend to be European. I found it funny. I thought, "Screw it, I'm not going to do something fake. I'm going to do something different. I'll come up with a name that embraces the fact I'm doing final assembly in China, rather than have people call BS". 

Even though I was getting WAY ahead of myself, it also occurred to me that the brand could end up being BIG - I mean, why not? And if it did get big, it could be pirated, so I wanted to find a name with an easy Chinese translation, in order to make it easier to enforce the trademarks I'd be filing in China. 

So I'm sitting there struggling to figure out a name, and at the same time I'm reading the criticism of Germasian brands, and I'm figuring out I'll have to do Chinese assembly if I want to keep the prices affordable. It just seemed obvious to start looking for a Chinese phrase, but if I was going to do that I should find one with a positive meaning. You don't want your factory workers assembling "Flaming Turd" or "Dead Tooth" watches. And as long as I was looking for something with a positive meaning, why not find something that has some meaning for me?

I spent a couple of days searching Chinese translations for various English phrases. My idea was to find a phrase in Chinese that sounded like a couple of names in English, like my take on "Baume et Mercier" or "Johnston & Murphy", or whatever. And then I found it - luen huey - "Lew & Huey".

Sure, people make jokes about the ducks, or Huey Lewis, but It means reincarnation. I don't believe in it literally, but my life has been a series of second acts - me constantly having to figure out a "plan B", attempting to reinvent myself after a setback - and I planned to make this my ultimate, in your face, kiss my ass plan B. 

You're firing me? Fine, I'm gonna show you I not only know how to sell, I know how to run a business and have happy customers. Your company sucks. It's a complete train wreck. Go fuck yourself. I'm out! I was really angry about the way things were going, so I just said, "Fuck it, let it all hang out."

Why a barking dog? Is he a robot? Is that tail picking up WIFI or is it just wagging? I dunno. I want people to make up their own stories to explain it.

I like dogs, better than most people actually. I have a real way with them, and it's gotten to the point where I just tell people I was a dog in a former life, I'm the dog whisperer, whatever. In my head, that dog is "Sparky" - he's a robot dog, but he's got a real dog's soul. He's every dog I've ever had that I eventually had to put down when they got sick or old. I brought 'em all back. Reincarnated, for a second act, just like I'm doing. 

The name, the dog logo - it's my way of expressing an idea - you want people to think you're special because of your watch? Get over it. This watch isn't about that. No one's looking at your watch besides you anyway. I want people to look at it and smile. In a small way, I want the message to be life-affirming. Don't take it too seriously, it's just a watch. Have fun with it. How can you look at your watch, see a robot dog with a wifi tail and not smile a little? Screw being all serious. Life should be fun.

Lew and Huey Acionna

Q: At CwW, we have a phrase we use for the watch we go to when no other piece in our collection works. We call this watch our 'Daily Default' or DD. What is your daily default?

A: Honestly, I don't really have one. I wear whatever I feel like after staring at my watchbox for 10 seconds. 

I think I'll have 15 watches in my collection by the end of this year, which includes all the L&H prototypes. Most days I'm wearing something I designed. If I wasn't the owner of a micro-brand with 9 of my own designs in my watch box, and you put a gun to my head and said "pick one" - it'd be tough, but I'd probably pick my Certina DS-1. I wouldn't say it's my favorite watch, but sometimes I have to pretend I'm a grown-up, and it's the only one that can pull it off. But it's not a watch you'll wear mowing the lawn or at the gym. If I never needed to look presentable, I'd probably go for the Seiko SKX007 - that's a badass mofo, and also a helluva lot of watch for under $200. 

Someday I won't give a shit about looking presentable.

Q: Lew & Huey has a unique style and philosophy, tell us about both.

A: Some people say they can see a "Lew & Huey Style" emerging when they look at my designs. I don't see it. The only thing I know for sure they have in common is that in each case, when I started designing I was trying to answer a question. Like, "why aren't there many (any) affordable mechanical chronographs?" That was a big one, and answering it was as much a math problem as it was a design challenge. It also made me focus on the economics of the business before I started thinking about what the watch would look like, which I think is a big pitfall for other would-be micro-brand founders. Too many start designing with no idea what their costs are going to be, what the final retail price target is, etc. They do it backwards, from a business perspective. I do it backwards, from a watch-nerd perspective. I don't design anything before I know the numbers.

With the Acionna, I had a general idea of what I wanted, it was "what would the ultimate all-arounder look like?", but I couldn't really get my hands around it. I ran a design contest on Watchuseek, when I saw something I liked I grabbed at it and massaged it until I had the Acionna. The design started with a guy named Bill Cunningham, who's like a mad genius. He's made his own custom chronograph case out of raw steel, and he's laser printing his own dials. His design rendering was one of the roughest submissions, but I saw the potential in it. I wanted the angular shape of a Stowa Seatime, but with an internal bezel and the 3-6-9-12 numbering of a Pilot. Bill's design was a real tool-watch, it looked very industrial, I thought if I could smooth it out and polish it up, it would rock. People seem to really like the result.

With the Spectre, and this kinda starts to get into the philosophy, I just got bored looking at all the Fliegers - they all looked the same! You look at all the Rolex Sub homages - all the same! PAM homages, all the same! It goes on and on. But the Fliegers always made me scratch my head, because so many people seem to love 'em, and I can barely tell them apart. I wanted to do something pilot-y, but blend in elements of the new and the old. I took the Flieger B dial layout, replaced the simpler markers with Tag Carrera chrono-style numbers, added a retro-70's barrel-shaped case, radial brushing, sunburst pattern, notched strap - BOOM! - Spectre.

Maybe that's the L&H style - grab a bunch of stuff I like from other designs, and re-combine it in a way that holds together and looks cohesive, rather than just being a Franken-design. In every model, there's a "tip of the hat" to other designs I like and admire, but I'm trying to take those flavors and blend them into my own brew.

Sounds corny, doesn't it?

Let me try again. What's the style? Sporty-casual. Fun. Not too serious. What's the philosophy? You're not the boss of me. I'm gonna sell a kick ass watch for not a lot of money. You don't like it? Go pound sand. You don't like the name or the logo? Fine, don't buy my watches. Go buy a Rolex if brand names mean so much to you.

Q: where do you think the watch industry is headed? Design, branding, etc.

A: I think the future is bright, honestly. 

In the macro, I see upward price pressure driven by ETA and the Swiss. That's a rising tide that lifts all ships. Miyota just raised its prices. Why? Because they can. Why? Because when oil goes up people switch to natural gas, and then that goes up. Same thing with ETA and the Japanese movements. They all go up together.

But the Chinese are constantly upgrading their capabilities and their QC. And they don't mind selling you a watch for $100 that should really be $500 if it were Swiss or Japanese. So that puts downward price pressure on the market.

I think there's a golden age coming, during which you'll see unbelievable bargains with surprising quality. Either that, or we might have just seen the end of it (yes, I know I'm contradicting what I just said). Seagull is sending out some funny signals, screwing their smaller customers, and starting to look like the ETA of China. We'll have to wait and see how it all shakes out. Getting the Riccardo made with the Seagull ST19 was less fun than wrestling a badger out of your underwear drawer.

Right now, the most exciting trend - to me - is the emergence of so many micro-brands. There's just so much going on in the under $1000 space, or even the under $600 space. There are a lot of brands offering fantastic designs that are also fantastic bargains - G.Gerlach, Bernhardt, Obris Morgan, Maranez, Helson, Halios, and there are more coming on line, Aevig, Melbourne, Boston Watch Company, Makara - too many to name, and I know I'm forgetting some notables. 

I've gotten to know a handful of these guys - I talk to Fred at Bernhardt, Krys from G.Gerlach, Suj from Melbourne and Chip from Aevig. It's like a little informal fraternity I'm in, with no initiation or crazy shit with paddles. Some of these guys actually bought my watch - it's unbelievable to me sometimes. A year ago I knew almost nothing about watches. Now guys who own watch companies are telling me they love what I've done. It's unreal.

Q: It seems everyone has their 'holy grail' watch, so what one watch, that you don't already own, is YOUR 'holy grail'?

A: I keep coming back to the Omega Planet Ocean 42mm with Orange bezel and what look to me like pink numbers. It's the first watch I ever went ga-ga for. There's just something about it. I tried to convince myself I didn't like that helium valve at 10, but I've seen them in AD's, and every time I do I get all gooey inside. It's love. I can't help it. 

But I own a brand that doesn't plan to break the $1000 barrier, at least not anytime soon, so I can't wear a $3,000-$4,000 watch. Can you imagine?

"Oh, you own a watch company, is that one of yours on your wrist?"

"This? Oh, no, this costs as much as your mortgage. My watches cost much less."

So my new grail is a watch I haven't designed or even conceived of yet. It'll be better looking than the PO, and retail for less than $1k. When I figure out what it'll look like and when I can make it, you'll probably here me laughing from wherever you are.

Q: You are very open about being known as somewhat of a hooligan within the industry: Why? 
 

A: I'm not trying to manufacture a reputation for myself, but I think that's how people see me. 

I've found life is full of people who want to tell you, "Sit down, keep quiet, stay in line, wait your turn, don't stand out, follow the rules." But I tried that. It got me nowhere, and it was boring as hell. At times I was down, and once I realized I wasn't out, and that I could get back up, it was liberating. I realized "the rules" are written not so you can win or lose, but to keep us in line, to get us to conform, to play nice in the sandbox. Don't rock the boat. Don't upset anyone's apple cart. Don't challenge the status quo.

Lew and Huey Spectre Pilot

I don't live that way. And I don't act that way. Screw that. You say I can't play? I don't deserve to be in the game? I say I can, and I do. Try to stop me from playing. Better bring your friends. You're gonna know you were in a fight. Just sayin'.

I speak my mind. Sometimes I'll say something, and someone will get their pants in a twist. It cracks me up. Somewhere there's a little girl in a wheelchair who dreams of dancing, and you're getting wrapped around the axle because some guy you don't know said something you don't agree with - on the internet??? 

C'mon bro, grow a set. Grow up. Don't think you can get me to behave the way you want because you remind me I'm the "brand ambassador" - my brand doesn't need an ambassador, but if it did, I'm doing EXACTLY what I'd want the ambassador to be doing - living life on my terms. This is what the brand is about. 

Final Thoughts: 

Some people are going to read this and think I'm out of my mind, or full of shit. For some reason it pisses people off that I had the balls to be here and do what I'm doing. 

What's stopping you? You get one ticket for this ride, and you don't know how long it will last. No one ever wrote a song about the people who stayed in line and waited their turn. 

I lost a really close friend who dropped dead of a heart attack at 37. The day before he went to work, came home, ate dinner, and watched TV. 

You're gonna die, maybe tomorrow. Forget who or what you were yesterday. How you live today is up to you. 

Check out CwW's review on the Lew and Huey Riccardo Automatic

Thank you much, Chris!

Introduction to Areion Watches

One of the many reasons we love what we do here at Chicks with Watches, is the ability to help you discover brands that you may have never heard of, and bring them front and center to the spotlight they deserve. One of the brands we are pleased to do that for is Areion Watches. A Birmingham UK based company dedicated to watchmaking that combines style, with high quality components.

Areion in Black

Currently, Areion has three timepieces of varying color combos to choose from.  All 3 boast an elegantly crafted chronograph and measure in at 42mm in case diameter. The color choices are sure to please anyone, as they are versatile and neutral.

Areion in Blue

 Each watch also has water resistance to 5ATM or 165 feet, which works for hand washing, and general shallow water activities. Areion also employs a quartz chrono driven by the Miyota OS20 movement.

Areion in White

Currently, Areion sells for  £180 plus £10 shipping or $290 USD. Jaspal, from Areion tells us that these are the first pro types, however the newest models will have 20ATM capabilities and sapphire crystal as well.








We think that for the price, you get a lot of bang for your buck. We’re waiting on an Areion for review and anticipate that after the first of the year. Of course, as soon as we get one, we will do a full review on our website for you. If you own one, let us know your hands-on thoughts in the comments below. If you'd like to own one, you can check out areionwatches.com.

CwW Spotlight Wing Liang

Wing Liang, CEO, Android-USA

When you talk about which watch designs are the best in the timepiece community, you have to talk about CEO and chief designer of Android-USA, Wing Liang. Clean lines, and innovative materials make him one of the most sought after watch architects in the industry. His love for watchmaking is clear and his passion is unmatched.

Q: Tell us a bit about your background.

A: I came from no design background and got a degree in International Business. I learned about watches on my own from reading books, visit factories, learn from my in house watch makers. I always believe if you love something so much you will find ways to learn it. Started Android in Sept 1991 that was the second year in University. That was the beginning of Android.

Q: What is the first watch you bought yourself?

A: I remember I had two watches that my mom bought me. It was a digital Citizen and a quartz Alba dive watch with day/date.

Q: You have a motto at Android; 'Building into the future, while respecting the past'. What does that mean to you and how does it get implemented in the timepieces you design for Android?

A: Watches have been around for a few hundred years. For mechanical watches, the architecture is the same but the materials have been improved with better accuracy and better liability.

I am designing watches with the Android touch and today machinery.

Android Flying Dragon

Q: At CwW, we have a phrase we use for the watch we go to when no other piece in our collection works. We call this watch our 'Daily Default' or DD. What is your daily default?

A: Virtuoso Tungsten T-100 Automatic Flying Tourbillon. I wear this watch everyday. At the moment this is my favorite.

Q: You are notoriously detail oriented. What drives you everyday to make the best timepieces you possibly can?

A: I am my own enemy. In my mind I am constantly want to improve and create the next best watch.

Q: If you HAD to choose only one watch to live with for the rest of your life, what would it be?

A: The Virtuoso collection I could live forever with it. Tungsten, sapphire, tritium, mechanical movements the best combination.

Android Hydraumatic Automatic Flying Tourbillon

Q: Android watches, in our opinion, are some of the coolest designed timepieces on the market. How do you maintain an expensive aesthetic, all while making them affordable for collectors?

A: I think about the Android collectors and make sure the prices are reasonable within their budget.



Q: What is one thing, you are comfortable sharing with us of course, that not many people know about you.

A: I live a very simple life. My work and family are the most important.

Thank you so much for taking the time, Mr. Liang!  

Introducing: Lexell Watches

Team CwW has recently discovered a really cool new line of watches from Lexell, and we knew right away that we HAD to share them with you. We love introducing you to new brands that few know about and are "off the beaten path" so to speak. Lexell is a new line of timepieces that do just that, take you off the beaten path and into a whole new world. Here is what the team at Lexell says about their brand:

Made by watch enthusiasts who've been collecting watches for years, Lexell Stone watches were inspired by the realization that so many watches on the market today were relatively similar. When we looked around, we saw that for the most part they all used the same materials. We knew it was time for a shake-up. We are extremely excited that Lexell Stone Watches are:

1) The FIRST Stone & Steel watch of their kind...anywhere.
2) Made with individually cut stone links and bezels.
3) Each 100% unique due to the nature of stone.
4) A shake-up for your watch collection, surely to get noticed!


CwW does not own a Lexell...yet, but we love the look of these pieces.



Here are some specs the guys at Lexell sent over to give you an idea:

43mm case diameter
11mm case thickness
Sapphire crystal
Japanese Quartz movement
5ATM water resistance
Stainless steel with stone inlay on bezel and bracelet (Granite, Slate, Quartzite)
Butterfly Clasp

If you like what you are seeing (and how could you not!?), head over to lexellwatches.com and snag one of your own. They are on kick starter currently and the price as a backer is $119(USD). If you grab one, make sure to tell us what you think....we'd love to hear all about it!

CwW Spotlight Jim Skelton

Jim Skelton-Host, World of Watches TV

We kick things off with World of Watches host, Jim Skelton. We chose Jim to launch the feature, because he is raw, honest, and immensely knowledgeable  when it comes to all things watches. The guy knows his stuff, and his passion is clear from the very first question. He spoke with us candidly about his love for watches and his latest project.

  

Q: Tell us a bit about your background. (Career, WOWTV, etc.) 

A: I was enjoying a tedious life of retail management for about 11 years (everything from video stores to tobacco shops and eyeglass and sunglass stores) when I got a phone call from Eyal Lalo on my cell at work one day. He requested that I fill a void at ShopNBC and take on a host job there to be their watch-specific host. After a few times of saying no, he finally convinced me to immediately go home, snap a picture for the network's management, and sit by the phone to hear back from him. Sure enough, the call came quickly, and I was whisked away to frigid Minnesota for a 3 day series of interviews and camera tests. Things fell into place and I enjoyed 6 and a half years there as the primary watch host. In 2011 I made the move back to my home state of Florida to take on the same position at WorldofwatchesTV, and I am still currently enjoying my position there. I enjoy the freedom to speak freely on my shows, with very little constraints, and the ability to bring out a BS-free presentation, devoid of the typical hype we have come to expect from such a venue. Hype, which unfortunately I, myself have been a party to in the past, in order to tow the company line. WOW management and myself have a similar philosophy about being forthright in the presentations, and to be as involved with the customer experience as possible. So far, it's been a good fit. I also enjoy the diversity in WOWTV's inventory. I could be presenting a budget-priced, daily wearer at $60 one minute, then follow that up with a $30,000 hand built prestige brand watch. I feel that this provides a well-rounded experience for the viewer, and appeals to every type of collector.

To this day I still feel indebted to Eyal for pushing me into this crazy job, and I have him to thank ultimately for my wonderful, and prosperous career.

Q: What was your first watch? 

A: My very first watch was a Lorus Mickey Mouse watch. I believe I was about 5 years old when my father gave it to me. I wish I still had it... those suckers really went up in value! ;-) The first watch I ever purchased myself, with my own money, was a Timex Ironman when I was probably 12 or 13 years old. That was "the watch" for my age group in the 80's, right before the Swatch Watch hit the scene (and yes, I owned several of those too). But my first "good" watch was a Movado Olympian, two-tone with black dial that I purchased when I was 19. I really thought I had made it with that watch. Swiss Made, and expensive at that time in my life, at about $680. I treasured that watch, and that gave me the true taste for what a quality watch really was.

Q: What is appealing about watches to you and how did your 'watch story' begin? (Why do you collect timepieces....?)

A View of Jim's Collection

A: As I've said for almost 10 years now on my shows, the appeal of watches to me is the fact that a watch is the outward expression of one's individuality. The watch you choose to wear displays to those around you, a little bit of who you are as a person. Maybe you wear a conservative, low key watch. Perhaps it's a tough looking tool diver watch, or a very aggressively designed sport watch. In any case, the wearer typically chooses their watch based on their personality, or interests. The car guy may tend to wear more sporting and race inspired designs more often than others. Career military might choose a tough utilitarian watch like a G-Shock or a Luminox for most days. A CPA or dentist might choose something a bit simpler and classic looking, particularly for work days. That wild and crazy playboy who hits the club every Saturday night, fist-pumping the night away might be more apt to wear a very shiny, oversized piece with a diamond pave dial. While none of these are absolutes, you can generally tell the kind of person you're talking to, simply by glancing down at their wrist.

For me personally, I crave variety, which is why I have collected hundreds of watches. I wear to match my mood, my day's activity, or yes.... sometimes simply to match the clothes I'm wearing. I enjoy watches as conversation pieces, which is why I typically buy something a bit special, or less often seen. If I'm wearing the same watch everyone else is, that's not a great ice-breaker... and what does that say about me? My collection has also grown because over time, my tastes have evolved. What interested me when I was 29 doesn't always trip my trigger now at 39.

 

Q: At CwW, we have a phrase we use for the watch we go to when no other piece in our collection works. We call this watch our 'Daily Default' or DD. What is your daily default? 

A: Ahh yes, the "go-to watch" as I call it. Over the last year or so the two I have worn the most have been the Boschett Harpoon and Breitling Super Avenger. No matter what I'm doing, where I'm going, or how I'm dressed... they just "work". I did recently sell my Breitling, but its being replaced with another one simply with different dial details (Roman numerals instead of Stencil numerals). Clean, classic lines on each, and relatively simple designs, they also work due to the black & silver look that offers a great neutrality.

Q: What are some brands that you personally love that are maybe not as well known to the everyday collector? Why?

A: Boschett, NFW and H2o Watch are probably my favorite brands that aren't really well known to the masses. Of course these names are recognized by hardcore collectors, but when I wear an H2o Kalmar, or an NFW Autopilot out in public, I get a ton of looks, and sometimes compliments and questions because it is a unique design, and a name the general public isn't familiar with. I think Keith Boschetti (Boschett Timepieces) probably has the best formula in the world of micro watch brands. He builds a solid, simple watch with just enough detail to be interesting, without being over-the-top or gaudy. The designs are fresh, useful and unpretentious, and built with high quality components & movements. 

Q: If you HAD to choose only one watch to live with for the rest of your life, what would it be? 

A: Omega Seamaster Pro GMT. The Seamaster Pro is still probably the best dive design ever made.

Q: It seems everyone has their 'holy grail' watch, so what one watch, that you don't already own, is YOUR 'holy grail'?

A: Patek Philippe Sky Moon Tourbillon

Q: Tell us about YOUR new watch line, Strider Watch LTD. How did it come to fruition? What can we expect to see from the line, and when?  

A: Thanks for asking! As many know, I have had the great fortune, and pleasure to have worked with some great manufacturers that have built some of my personal designs over the years. I even created one brand a few years ago and launched it with great success. I did not however have ownership of the brand due to a contractual conflict with my former employer. Last October I was talking to my dear friend Wing Liang (owner of Android Watches), and he suggested that I do it again, but this time I needed to own my brand, and have full control. After a bit of talking, Wing decided to offer his help and expertise, and our partnership began. He's one of the very few people that can handle my detail-oriented nature because he is also very detailed in everything that he does. I am the kind that doesn't take no for an answer, and if I want to do something out of the box design-wise, I won't back down until the factory agrees to try it. This can be exhausting for others that work with me, but in the end, that tenacity is what creates something special. Wing has so much technical know-how, and he approaches every watch with such focus and determination, that I am confident collectors will be very impressed with our brand.
 

With Strider Watch LTD, I am free to create something special. With the debut model, the Hyperdive, I wanted to come out of the gate with something simple, comfortable, and classic in design but with my own unique details. I have designed everything from the ground up, no components or design of this watch can be seen elsewhere except for the classic multi-link bracelet and a wonderful ratcheting wetsuit extension clasp that has proven to be successful for a number of brands. My dial, bezel, hands, crown and all markings are unique, but not over the top. One particular point of pride for me is the ability to offer a product built in the US. While we are sourcing globally, and like many high quality brands that are far above our price range, we are doing case machining in Hong Kong, ALL parts are shipped to our facility here in Florida where our watchmakers are hand fitting, assembling and meticulously inspecting every component. While we would of course love to have 100% USA manufacturing, the tens of millions of dollars required to invest in tooling, machines, factory space and workers is simply too costly to bear for a small, upstart micro brand that has no plans to mass produce. Each model will be a numbered limited edition (The Hyperdive will be limited to 500 pieces across 3 variations), so we can afford to take the time to do true hand fitting and assembly, and not rush to meet a mass market demand. My goal is to bring out hand crafted watches using the best movements, Sapphire crystals and Superluminova in unique designs for less than all the other micro brands out there, without sacrificing a single bit of quality.
 

Our website, striderwatches.com is currently being built, and we expect to launch it in December. There we will offer a pre-order for those that may wish to get in early to guarantee a spot. But everyone is welcom to simply wait until our public release, which we expect in early to mid January of 2014. On our site we will be offering of course the watches, but also options such as an extra caseback (all Hyperdive will come standard with a solid steel back, but the owners can elect to purchase an exhibition caseback to view the Miyota 9015 movement, and we will gladly install it, then put the original caseback in their box when it delivers), additional straps (the watch delivers on a bracelet with a leather and a nylon strap included), and other accessories.

My hope is that people enjoy wearing them as much as I have enjoyed designing them. I have 3 other model designs ready to go if the first model proves to be a success. Every new model will be completely different from the others, offering a wide variety of styles. I am not a fan of repetition.

Final Thoughts:

I want to say thank you to Erin and ChicksWithWatches for reaching out to me and allowing me to share my thoughts and passion about watches with your fans. I also appreciate your wonderful support of me personally, and of WOWTV. I love what you've built here, and your obvious enthusiasm. All the best to you in your endeavors, and to your fans!

A HUGE thank you from all of us at CwW, Jim! 

Sneak Peek into the latest On Location with CwW

She may play the sweet and innocent role in class, but when she gets home...it's a whole different story.


Astro gets a bit creative showing off her chrome 37mm Skagen on a black leather strap...

And then she has an even better idea...

And then...










Featured Watch: Skagen 37mm model #233XXLSLC

Check out more of Astro here

And head on back to chickswithwatches.com for more On Location with CwW shoots