About this project
Rossling & Co - Ultra-Thin Watches & Tweed Straps
$170,002
1,280
Thank you to all our backers for the amazing support! The campaign ended but it's not over! If you missed out on the Rossling & Co. Kickstarter campaign you can still order a watch or a tweed strap at www.rossling.co.uk.
Cool Material: "There aren't enough adjectives for cool (sleek, svelte and stylish come to mind immediately) in the English language to adequately describe this watch."
Envynde: "Rossling & Co. is taking Kickstarter by storm with their tastefully designed, ultra-thin tweed strap watches."
The Coolecter: "Boasting highly distinctive tweed strap, these Rossling & Co watches are certainly a sartorially superior number and The Coolector is definitely impressed with the superb, understated and sophisticated look of the exemplary timepieces."
VouchMag: "Rossling & Co. is a new watch company that's one step away from the meteoric rise we see coming in the near future."
The Wrist Watch Review: "The combination of a unique strap, a stripped down design, and ultra-thin case really makes for a compelling watch."
Dappered: "The watches are extremely thin, sleek, and put a modern spin on a vintage look."
We have spent the last year working on an ultra-thin watch, with a unique tweed strap. This started out as a search for the perfect watch: affordable, versatile, and, of course, beautiful! Our disappointment with what was available led to the idea that we should design and make our own line of watches. After months of sketching out designs, researching and experimenting with different materials, building and testing prototypes, and finally working with various suppliers and manufacturers, we’re now ready to offer our watches, exclusively on Kickstarter!
The Design Process
When we started designing our watch, we had 3 goals in mind:
- Affordability (keep the price under $250)
- Versatility (wearable with both casual and dress outfits)
- Style (that classic, timeless look)
After talking to various suppliers and manufacturers, we found that we would still be able to achieve the affordability goal by using the best materials and components: stainless steel case, sapphire crystal, and Swiss quartz movement! We were really excited that we wouldn’t have to compromise on quality, and so, we hit the sketch pad right away!
To achieve versatility with our design, we decided that it was best to keep the case size reasonable. We found that at 40mm, it was the perfect case diameter: not too large for a dress watch, not too small for casual. It is also a perfect size for both women and men!
Another critical element of versatility was the strap. Leather straps are beautiful on dress watches, but they don't feel very casual. Nylon or canvas straps are really nice but they are way too casual to wear in a formal setting. So, we decided to go with a material that is known for its versatility and its use in luxury fashion: tweed. With the help of a strap maker, we developed a unique strap made of tweed, with leather backing for comfort.
As for the style, we took our inspiration from different trends, especially from European styles of the 1920's and 1930's. We drew a lot of different models and received feedback from a lot of friends to help us decide on a particular direction.
To achieve a classic, timeless look, we had to remove all unnecessary distractions so common in modern watches. We took the “less-is-more” approach, and used a classic watch design language. We were able to slim down the case thickness to just under 7mm by using a special manufacturing process.
With our final sketches done, we sent them to a watch manufacturer who converted them to CAD technical drawings.
After we confirmed the technical drawings, the manufacturer machined a set of molds that would be used to fabricate the watch case, and other components from raw stainless steel.
The different parts of the watch were plated and/or polished to a mirror finish. They built a complete set of prototypes for us to inspect and validate the design. When we received the prototypes, we were extremely happy with how they looked and felt on our wrist. In simple words, we loved them!
The Final Design
You can choose between 4 color combinations:
- Gold case & Black dial
- Silver case & Black dial
- Gold case & White dial
- Silver case & White dial
Specifications
- Case diameter: 40 mm
- Case thickness: 7 mm
- 20 mm lug width (strap)
- Sapphire crystal (scratch resistant)
- Stainless steel 316L case & caseback
- Swiss movement (Ronda 1069) with small second
- 20 mm Tweed strap, with leather backing
- 3 ATM (30 m) water resistant
Production Plan
We have the final CAD technical drawings of the watch that we can take to any watch manufacturer and they will be happy to manufacture the watches for us. But since we have already verified the quality and workmanship of the particular manufacturer who built the prototypes you see in the pictures here, we plan on having the watches built by them. They can accommodate small production batch as well as very large mass production requirements. They will also be providing us with the branded packaging.
The strap will be made by another factory specialized in working with leather and high end fabrics such as Tweed. They have also delivered beautiful prototypes and are ready to produce our unique strap in as small or as large a quantity we require. If, for any reason, they cannot provide the strap in a timely manner, we have been recommended several other strap makers that are highly regarded in the industry.
Once we receive the watches and straps from our suppliers we will inspect each of them thoroughly. If they pass our quality control we will pack them securely and prepare for shipment. We already have business accounts setup with most shipping companies and we will use the safest and/or most cost-effective courier depending on the destination.
We Need Your Support!
We are ready for production, we have the final prototype, the technical drawings, we have the suppliers ready to start production. The only thing missing is the initial order fee. We need to order a minimum of 300 watches to keep the price reasonable, and that's where you come in. By becoming a backer for our project, you help us pay for the first production run, and in exchange you will receive an awesome watch at a highly discounted price!
By pledging today, you are pre-ordering a luxury Rossling & Co. watch from the first production run and making sure you receive it as early as possible. You are also locking in the special Kickstarter price. The first 100 backers will get a watch for $99 ($60 off the retail price of $159). The next 200 backers will get a watch for $119 ($40 off retail price). The next 500 backers will get a watch for $129 ($30 off retail price), and all other backers will get a watch for $139 ($20 off retail price). All US & Canadian backers get FREE shipping.
Our reach only goes so far beyond our networks. Liking us on Facebook or sending a few quick emails to friends and family can go a long way to help us ensure success!
We hope that you love our watches as much as we do and pledge your support in order to receive one of the very first production models from Rossling & Co!
Thank you so much for being a part of this project!
Risks and challenges
We realize creating and delivering a product is a complicated process and often comes with unexpected hiccups. That is why we have been preparing.
We have spent the past several months making sure our supply chain is in check. We have a well-established relationship working with a reliable watch manufacturer and strap maker. We have experience and we are prepared to deal with fulfillment of goods. We also have a contingency plans for all the steps that are out of our control.
We are going to keep our backers informed during the production process. We'll do this with regular updates and sharing pictures as often as possible, for example when the watch cases are finished, after plating, during final assembly, when the final packaging is printed, etc…
If somewhere along the way we find that there is a setback in production, or that we cannot make the timeline, we will be as transparent as possible to keep all of our backers informed.
In the end, we want to make Rossling & Co. a long-lasting brand of affordable watches. We will do whatever it takes to fulfill our promises and to deliver watches that will exceed our backers’ expectations!
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Funding period
- (30 days)