Watches have been back in the headlines recently thanks to a certain fruit related company, but don’t you sometimes just crave a timepiece that, well, tells the time and looks cool whilst doing it?
Well fear not, because the guys over at Zelos watches have got you and your wrist covered.
Following on from their hugely successful first Kickstarter campaign, which was fully funded by its second day and went on to almost triple its fundraising goal, the new Chroma range retains a minimalist aesthetic without compromising on style or class.
Speaking to founder Elshan Tang about the inspiration behind this new range, he said that he was driven by a desire to create a stylish watch with all the features you would expect from a quality timepiece, such as automatic movements and sapphire glass, whilst also trying to keep the price low. His key demographic, he explained, was the young adult market and he wanted to be able to provide this group with the quality one could expect from a branded Swiss watch whilst still making it affordable for their budgets.
Looking at the watch up close, you certainly can’t dispute his desire for quality and attention to detail. The mechanical movement is provided by the Miyota Company, a subsidiary of Citizen, and its rotor is PVD coated in rose gold, following on from the success of this feature in their previous model.
The main crystal surrounding the movement is crafted from sapphire, the hardest material available and scratch-proof to everything but diamonds, and the inner layer is then coated in an anti-reflective coating in order to not only prevent glare but to also provide what Elson describes as “a beautiful blue tint” at certain angles.
The Chroma comes in a variety of different models, but for those wearers particularly besotted with the watch’s mechanical elements, there will be a limited 100 piece run of the Skeleton model which promises a stripped back aesthetic in order to provide a tantalizing peek into the internal workings.
When asked why he believes watches are still necessary in an age where everyone can now read the time on their smartphones, Elson replied that fine watches have these days become more of an accessory and the one piece of jewellery that a man wears on a daily basis. Having an appropriate timepiece for an outfit completes it, he believes, and it not only provides a stylish accessory but also a great talking point.
Well the Chroma certainly succeeds in that aim.