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Post by marinoc81 on Feb 17, 2016 21:02:17 GMT -6
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Baco Noir
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Post by Baco Noir on Feb 17, 2016 23:03:51 GMT -6
Kickstarted seems to have a lot of watch startup on it. If I recall correctly, I think that Shinola started there or one of the other crowdfunding sites.
There are always some interesting ones on Kickstarter and then there are ones like this that tell you they can build your selfconfidence and make you feel like a prince when you buy their tourbillon.
The marketing on this is horrible, but the video at the top is good for a laugh.
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Archer
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Post by Archer on Feb 18, 2016 7:31:11 GMT -6
No offense to the OP, but I am generally not a fan of these. The one you refer to is not as bad in terms of marketing or pricing as some of these are. For $99 you probably can't go too wrong on this one...now for my rant...
I see so many of these posted, and I always wonder if they really are people trying to get a proper company off the ground. In most cases I would say they are not. I just saw one yesterday where the company had a "wildly successful" first campaign, and yet they are back on KS with the second campaign. I thought the idea was to "kisckstart" your company, and then take it to a more traditional funding model...you know, the one where you actually have some skin in the game and fund it yourself, or get proper investors, or a loan.
My feeling is that most of these are just some person who emails one of the big companies in China that they subcontract to make them a watch of some sort (I get unsolicited emails from these companies pretty regularly). They pick from the readily available options, get some samples made, crowd fund the crap out of it by making up some fanciful video about their "vision", then when they are funded they can place an order. One way to make some money with very little risk I guess other than a bit of time. Very few of these turn into actual watch companies.
For me if you don't have enough confidence in your product or design to fund it yourself, why should I?
I haven't even talked about after sales service. I have yet to see one of these companies that is run by an actual watchmaker or someone with any real technical experience. Lots of designers but for most of these companies if your watch is defective, they have zero capability to fix it, and the only option they have is to send you a replacement. Then there is the pesky subject of spare parts - before I would ever back one of these campaigns, I would be asking how long the "company" will guarantee that they have spare parts available for the watch. I bet the answer won't be favourable. Most movement parts will be available, but what about spare crowns, case tubes, dials, hands, bezels, etc. As a watchmaker I can safely say that 40% of the parts I replace on watches I service are not movement parts, but case parts.
Most of these should be thought of as pretty much disposable fashion watches.
Cheers, Al
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Baco Noir
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Post by Baco Noir on Feb 18, 2016 10:38:07 GMT -6
@archer - case in point.
The 25 year warranty caught my attention and made me look at it deeper. This is a watch with a swiss quartz movement with a 25 year warranty for $100 and up.
There are better values out there in this price range with a real company to stand behind the product.
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CHIP
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Post by CHIP on Feb 18, 2016 13:34:31 GMT -6
You were right, that movie did make me laugh.
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Post by tempusfugit on Feb 24, 2016 19:45:20 GMT -6
I am currently backing a project for the Tangramatic Nereid of the Pacific. I have been frequenting a FB group for Microbrands and it makes it much easier to separate the wheat from the chaff on Kickstarter.
I agree that Kickstarter should not be a well of funding over and over, rather a leg up to get a business off the ground.
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Post by marinoc81 on Feb 24, 2016 19:58:08 GMT -6
I am currently backing a project for the Tangramatic Nereid of the Pacific. I have been frequenting a FB group for Microbrands and it makes it much easier to separate the wheat from the chaff on Kickstarter. I agree that Kickstarter should not be a well of funding over and over, rather a leg up to get a business off the ground. I 100% agree, as long as you know how to navigate it, it's easy to see the REAL brands, but you can also get some laughs out of some of the marketing as we all know
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Post by marinoc81 on Feb 24, 2016 19:58:42 GMT -6
Also, I was a click away from backing Nereid as well!
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