Fall of the Berlin Wall Watches - REAL History on Your Wrist

Important Note on Surveys -- Please read carefully
almost 8 years ago – Tue, Apr 24, 2018 at 08:15:24 PM

Hello Everyone,

Survey Question Problems:

If you have already filled out your survey, you may have noticed a problem. On some levels the question about the color or non color dial did not render correctly. And it also may have looked like you were getting two watches when you pledged for one. I have fixed those problems. But it will mean some people will have to resubmit their survey. I am VERY sorry about this. Backer Kit is great, but it has a lot of moving parts. In the final set up, something that was working fine got altered and we didn't catch it.

Shipping Cost for Add Ons:

We decided NOT to add any additional shipping cost for add ons. We will eat any difference in shipping they may incur. This includes the Swiss Package. That will have no additional shipping costs as well.

The Exhibition Caseback on the Swiss Package:

People have noted that the Brandenburg Gate tends to really cover up the movement. We are changing that so the gate will be more of an outline to open up further viewing area. We will post another rendering, but for now this gives you an idea of the general way it will look.

Thanks everyone!

Sorry for the hassles...

Craig

Surveys Coming Monday
almost 8 years ago – Fri, Apr 20, 2018 at 11:51:06 PM

Hello everyone!

Our goal is to have the surveys out to you by Monday, the 23rd. It has taken a little longer than we hoped because we were working on an option several people asked for (see below). We use Backer Kit, so be on the lookout. We can't start production until we get all the surveys in, so please don't hesitate. We are doing everything we can to still hit our goal of having everything delivered by the end of August. We are a bit behind already, so we hope we can make up time with quick survey responses.

What we are adding a is Swiss Package option for an additional $179 (along with a number of other add on options) where you can change to a 2824 Swiss ETA movement and get a sapphire exhibition case back. Be sure and check that out.

 Some other add ons we will be offering for purchase:

 And more!

2824 versus NH35 -- A bit more info
almost 8 years ago – Fri, Apr 20, 2018 at 11:43:58 PM

Was asked about this in a comment, so thought I would put it in an update as well.

What are the benefits of the 2824 versus an NH35?

You may find my initial response a bit surprising. I am actually a big fan of the NH35 much like I am a big fan of my Honda Civic with 178,000 miles on it. You just about can't kill an NH35. So, the first thing I would say is that if your motivation to do the Swiss Package is improved reliability and accuracy, it is unlikely you will see any real difference between the two. That is partly why we are not calling this an "upgrade."

That said, there are certainly reasons to want the 2824. The comparison to the Honda Civic is pretty fair I think. The NH35 costs a third to a fourth of the 2824 and is used in probably 70 percent of the affordable automatic watches made today. It's reliable, but arguably pedestrian. The 2824 is the Mercedes to the NH35's Honda... unlikely to be more reliable but with less luxury and prestige. Iconic German metal versus Japanese solidity and simplicity.

But dude, it's Swiss! Everyone associates watches with Switzerland. And there is good reason to do so. The Swiss build some (if not most) of the best made watches in the world. Watchmaking and Switzerland go together like, well, Germany and cars. From a prestige point of view, knowing your movement is Swiss has a real value -- especially if you are telling someone else about your watch.

There are some specific, tangible features of the 2824 that are clearly an improvement over the NH35. We didn't put an exhibition (glass) case back on the NH35 version for a reason (though some manufacturers do). The NH35 isn't much to look at. It doesn't have any decoration (things like etchings or blued screws) to make the movement attractive. The 2824 does. The rotor (which winds the watch) is much more attractive. The plates and screws are often decorated. Now, we haven't decided the full decoration level of the 2824 we will be using, but for sure it will be more than any NH35. This is why we are adding an exhibition case back to the 2824 package.

Another difference is the VPH. That stands for Vibrations Per Hour. That is how many times the mainspring, which drives the mechanics, oscillates in an hour. The NH35 is 21,600 vph and the 2824 is 28,800. There is debate as to whether that improves accuracy. Again, I have found the NH35 to be quite accurate. But there is one thing that the VPH absolutely has an impact on and that is the sweep of the second hand.

Unlike a quartz watch, a mechanical timepiece's second hand doesn't tick once per second but sweeps around the dial. Now, there actually are ticks, but they are so close together and so fast you get the illusion that the second hand sweeps without any hesitations. Why does VPH matter? Put simply, the lower the VPH, the more stutter can be noticeable in the second-hand movement. So, the 2824 is going to have a smoother second-hand sweep than the lower VPH of the NH35. On this one, I will say it is a noticeable difference for those who know what they are looking for and not so much for the casual observer.

All of that said, my personal Berlin Wall watch will have a 2824 in it ;).

If I am leaving anything out, please chime in. Correct me if needed. And certainly some of this is very much a matter of opinion.

Thank you!
almost 8 years ago – Tue, Apr 10, 2018 at 06:44:45 PM

We can't wait to start building! And the deepest of thanks to all those who backed us. In case you missed it in the campaign, here are the changes we are making based on backer feedback....

Would REALLY like to get to that $35k stretch goal level
almost 8 years ago – Tue, Apr 03, 2018 at 10:52:11 AM

Hello everyone!

We have 9 days left and we would really like for everyone to get that really cool wooden print. We have one here in the office and we promise it is really cool! And I will be hand signing all of them (that is certain to increase the value :)

So, please take a few minutes if you can and share this link around social media and help us to push past that $35k mark. Hope everyone has a great holiday weekend!

https://kck.st/2Gm8D20

Also, we are making one more small, but important change we think. We will be making the two holes in the 8 and the one in the 9 hollow so you can see more of the dial through there. Will get a rendering out to everyone next week.

And here are a couple of vids we added to the campaign from our trip to Berlin: