How long does it take to get funding on Kickstarter in order to qualify as a ‘success story’? A week? A day perhaps? Well how about 33 minutes? That’s how long it took the Gin Clear Diver to destroy its original funding goal, impressive by any stretch of the imagination – and speaking of stretches, it managed it’s stretch goals just 12 hours later. The question is, how? By promising possibly the most impressive value for money diver on the market – and that’s saying something.
Designed by Australian based Second Hour Watches, founder Peter Sargison was once firmly entrenched into the corporate ladder until one day he needed a break. The watch obsessive knew what he wanted to do: build something beautiful and long-lasting. It’s easier said than done though and it took endless experimenting, discussions and practical negotiations before even the hint of a prototype could emerge.
When it did though, it came in the form of the Gin Clear Diver, the first of four watches to be completely designed or prototyped by Second Hour Watches. With three more still to come as part of the brand’s long-term plan, this makes for a seriously impressive start.
This isn’t just one watch; thanks to the stretch goals, the Gin Clear Diver is a fully-fledged collection. There’s the original quartet of colours, including the wonderfully textured black sand and cream sand along with the charming arctic white and pastel blue, all of which are available with or without a date window. But then there’s an incredible trio of enamelled dials. These are available in blue, red and green with the material’s signature depths and beauty.
The black sand version is arguably the focal point of the Gin Clear Diver’s options and it’s not hard to see why. The textured dial is incredible, and the unique green bezel option adds a new, colourful dimension to the design. However, it also illustrates that the watch is more than an aesthetic twist on a classic diving watch.
With a sapphire crystal, ceramic bezel inserts, plenty of high-class lume, 200m water resistance and a Sellita SW200 automatic movement, there’s no shortage of quality throughout. In fact, from precision calibre to precision finish, this is the kind of quality you’d expect from an established Swiss watchmaker, not an Australian start-up.
Yet that last has one major benefit: price. As I said at the beginning, this is possibly the ultimate value-for-money diver. That’s because all of the above will set you back $425 USD if you order before the 30th April, after which it will cost you a still impressive $570 USD. Good luck finding anything else that ticks all the same boxes for that amount.
Now if you don’t mind, I’m going to get funding this thing while the Kickstarter’s still open. Even at that price for the duration of the kickstarter campaign, a backer discount’s more than welcome.
Price & Specs:
Brand: Second Hour
Model Name: Hour Gin Clear Diver
Case/Dial: 41.5mm diameter, stainless steel, fully lumed ceramic or brushed steel bezel, 8 layers of BGW9 SuperLuminova, 6 layers of AR coating, domed sapphire crystal
Water resistance: 200m (20 bar)
Movement: Sellita SW200 regulated in four positions
Strap: Screw link steel bracelet & fully milled clasp
Price: $425 USD (if you order before 30th April), $570 USD (normal price), including a leather, zip up travel case and a two year warranty
More details at Second Hour’s website.
