KRONOS Forum Special Edition Watch

Watch Poll Now Posted HERE!

Please read this BEFORE voting in the poll. This post has all the preliminary details of both watch options. The poll will only be for those that are interested in actually getting the watch. So, please review the details to make an informed choice.

As you might already know, I started an interest list for a Special Edition/Group Buy for a forum watch a few months ago. Time to move forward and look at some options :exclamation:

So…what have we been up to? I’m glad you asked! :smiley: In addition to working on several KRONOS lights (more on those later :wink: ), we have been looking into producing watches. Watches are cool, and add another EDC item to anyone’s arsenal. JohnnyMac, Bugs and I really want to make a KRONOS BLF SE watch a reality! To get the ball rolling, we are in touch with a few respected watch manufacturers/distributors in China.

There are some challenges in getting a watch made for our community. First: Not everyone wants a watch. Second: Agreeing on a common design/spec. Third: Coming up with a minimum number of units.

Therefore, we want to make it easier by narrowing it to a couple options. The two proposed watches we selected are popular and VERY cool looking…the Carnival Tritium watch, and a custom, specially designed Seiko diver homage with Tritium indices and hands. Here are the two options in more detail:

1) First Option - The Carnival (Jianianhua) Day/Date watch w/Tritium indices and Tritium hands. Side note: JohnnyMac pulled the trigger on the Date (no day function) version of this Carnival already, and has nothing but good things to report after months of wear! It has a Swiss Ronda quartz movement and a Sapphire crystal. If we get enough interest, and reach a MOQ (Minimum Order Quantity) of 500 units, we could customize it the way we want with logos, etc. Not enough for the 500 MOQ? We could still get the regular production version with Carnival logo, which is still an awesome watch! Here are some pics:


^ Carnival production watch with no changes ^
Target Price: $100-$125

2) Second Option - This is what I am most excited about! A custom diver homage to arguably the most popular dive watch ever, the Seiko SKX and variant line of watches, but with some exciting, proposed changes. I believe that this will be a HUGELY popular watch, and will probably appeal to non-BLF members as well. The challenge is that this would be a project where we would have to create a watch almost from the ground up. MOQs/minimum quantities would be at 500 units. This may or may not be achievable. A huge help would be promotion inside as well as outside of BLF. A few pics of this classic diver (not my pics):


As stated, there are changes we would like to make to the existing design. Please note that these are not written in stone. They will be subject to change, and final spec could look quite different. I will do my best to keep this thread updated and accurate. The biggest change will be going from an automatic movement (self-winding) to a quality quartz movement. Why? To keep the cost down, accuracy, offer an alternative to what already exists, and automatics can be VERY finicky. So…here are the current proposed changes:

1) Tritium hands.
2) A quality Japanese or Swiss quartz movement with day or day/date function/complication.
3) A sapphire crystal.
4) Case size increased from 42mm to 44mm.
5) Raised indices (hour markers), perhaps with tritium.
6) A one-way, rotatable bezel (60 click or preferably 120 click), perhaps ceramic ‘Pepsi’ insert (Blue/Red), with Tritium pip on top. (Note: Ceramic is expensive. Aluminum would be the less costly option),
7) A Stainless Steel, oyster (Rolex style) type bracelet with solid end links.
8) An option to add NATO strap(s) in your color choice or rubber band.
9) The crown moved to left-hand side of watch (8, 9 or 10 O’clock position) for comfort.
10) Utilization of excellent lume, i.e. Super-Luminova or equivalent GITD product on areas w/o Tritium.
11) An original dial with a fresh look and interesting design.
12) Pierced lugs (for easier strap changes/spring-bar removal).
13) A signature crown (raised logo).
14) All series numbered (1/500, 2/500 and so on). NO dibs on getting the series number you want. :cowboy_hat_face:
15) A presentation box option, perhaps w/matching series number
16) Target price: $150-$200. This is purely an estimate on my part due to the variance of options.

The proposed changes have a definite cost and might make option 2 too expensive, so please keep that in mind. We might not be able to do many/all changes…this is more of a wish-list. Remember, the more rigid you are on what “has” to be on the watch for you to want it, the further away we will be from reaching the MOQ of 500 pieces. There are a lot of cool options out there. BTW…there is a huge, watch modding community out there. Some of the ideas are from them. There are many stunning options that modders have come up with…but…we can’t do them all and keep Option 2 affordable.

We also want to keep the other specs that made this watch such a classic, such as: SS case, screw-down SS case-back, screw-down crown, etc.

For reference as to what I am talking about, a company named Deep Blue did something similar to what I am proposing, but kept the automatic movement. They are wildly popular, even though they are kind-of a blatant copy of Seiko’s timeless design. I would like our version to steer away from a blatant copy, and offer some changes that make it unique, including an original dial design. That is why I have the above improvements/changes. Here are some pics of Deep Blue’s version:



I know 500 units is A LOT! However, I will also seek interested individuals at some of the watch forums I frequent. Tritium watches are popular, and there are not many on the market. Therefore, there is opportunity/interest out there at other forums to reach that MOQ.

Anyhow, this is what we have so far, but nothing is carved in stone :slight_smile: . Option 1 and 2 are different looking watches…so, please vote for your preference in the poll!

Additionally: Please indicate your option interest by posting which you prefer, and quantities interested in.

Poll options:

  1. Option 1 - Carnival quartz watch w/Tritium hands/hour markers (with or without logo changes, depending on MOQ).
  2. Option 2 - Homage dive watch with improvements.

Thanks!
krono aka kronological
Team KRONOS

they look better with the lights off :money_mouth_face:

Very interesting, though I’d probably not partake as I am skint at present.

One thing I’d say though is that the four o’clock crown that I have on my Seiko Orange Monster is perfectly comfortable, so I’m not sure of the need to have that particular aspect adapted?

SP

LOL!

Another reason this should appeal to flashaholics.

Love that Pepsi color combination!

A diver style/Seiko style with tritium at a decent price would be awesome! I agree with scrumpypaul, no need to change the crown position. Tritium indices and hands would be best, then Superluminova would not be necessary. Of course we’ll have to see what we can get for what price. I hope it works out!

Most people wear their watches on the left so the crown on the right side seems very logical.
Why changing that?

Oh I really hate the Omega wannabe logo of the first

Do I will sit back and if the first with a nice “B” or something as logo is made I could step in
If that second Seiko turns out to be the chosen one again I am curious to see how it unfolds.

The $100-$200 budget is fairly high IMHO a lot of nice things can be bought from that.
Maybe check CPF for this too, I see people willing to pay a lot for some tritium spheres so getting a watch and tritium might appeal a lot there

Oh yeah just tritium in the pointers would suffice for telling the time and just 2 are needed.

I suspect that a 4 O’clock position would probably be OK as well. The case size will be slightly larger at 44m than the standard SKX is at 42. Definitely not a huge difference, but a difference none-the-less.

Another unspoken reason was also to give the watch a little different look than the Seiko SKX…instead of just copying everything about it and reproducing it in a larger size.

I do also…my personal favorite!

IF we can get Tritium indices, then yes, the Superluminova would go away.

However, if Tritium indices adds too much to the cost, then Superluminova indices might be a cheaper alternative. Some lume on the bezel (besides the Trit Pip) might look quite fetching as well.

I saw a mfr that somehow put Superluminova on the crown logo…very cool! Hmm…a Trit embedded into the crown would be amazing! I’ll add it to the list of possible options!

I saw that too. I believe it was Zelos. Very cool, but unnecessary I suppose. If we could get a T100 trit watch, as opposed to T25, that would be the bees knees, as they say. I know you can’t have it all at a budget price too, but hey, it doesn’t hurt to dream.

I don’t particularly care for that as well. I’m sure is was just a coincidence that it looks like the Omega logo tho…lol. However, if we were able to reach the MOQ, then we get to choose the logo. If we don’t, then there is always the ‘Sharpie’ option :smiley:

Yes, a lot of nice watches can be bought in this range, but below that, not a whole lot exists with the kind of features we are talking about. Oh…I’m sure you can find something that is packed with features for less, but not a watch that we can custom design in the small quantities we are talking about. The plan, as you have described, is to also post this info on CPF and TFF as well. Additionally, I will be hitting up some of the watch forums as well.

Would a black diver be something people would entertain ?

I’d love one like that:

They look cool, but a decent PVD coating will add to the cost, and a bad coating will show scratches right away, just things to consider.

I’d be interested. Have voted.

On a side note, I love this colour scheme. Where can I get this from today, anyone know?

True Kronos
A jam feature packed watch can be a gem
Hope you pull this off :slight_smile:

Almost ashamed to say my $10-12 skeleton watch I bought from Deal extreme before they started using DX is now my most weared watch

I like it, responses are good.

I got a second watch I keep running in case I want to use it.
My wife had it made by a jeweler, it has a blue dial matching a lapis lazuli seal ring I gave her that in turn matches the ring with my family crest seen on a darker stone through lapis
(Like this but our crest it different just for the idea:
)
She won’t tell me how much she paid for it but I know the jeweler and all is in the several Ks stock.

For me a watch is like jewellery not a tool. I gladly bang the heck out of a “Browning” knife working but when it comes to dressing up it is either no brand or a real brand (hence the hating on a Omega logo ripoff :wink: ) but I must say I prefer no branding at all, it feels like being a walking advertisement.
A special branding for a groupbuy ia OK though.

(And funny story a friend who collects watches and has them insured because of their value now has ordered several skeleton China watches lol every time we went out people commented on my cheapie where his real Rolex/Chopard and what else didn’t get a second glance :smiley:
He told me recently he now wears a skeleton mechanical watch with gold inner playing to board meetings and get compliments. ROFLOL, he was so frustrated before now happy :wink:

Direct from their website. There is a coupon code…not sure if it still works, but it’ll get you a significant discount. Try code: HYDRO

Their website is: http://www.deepbluewatches.com/

They look nice and all. However I am more than pleased with my cheap ($25 in 2011) Timex Indiglo. I just replaced the battery a few months ago, for the first time.

I still have a Seiko (in a drawer) I used to wear all the time. For some reason I kept cracking crystals. Haven’t had that happen with my cheapy.

But those examples look very nice. I won’t buy one though. However, I will likely put the dollars into f’lights. :money_mouth_face:

+1 on JamesB post. I would pay for one of those . I swear by my Orient watches. I just don’t see how big names can charge whatever for a watch. I was looking at a TAG but really?- it’s stainless with a rubber band for almost 3K. That’s bs but people buy them just for the name I guess.
If I ever did spend big money on a watch it would be the Omega Speedmaster. Like the one that NASA chose to go to the moon.
Edit: I’ll take one of that first pic with the tritium. Looks nice. Auto wind please.