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The kickstarter adventures of Sólás - solaswatches.com
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You're not on the "list of shame"
From reading into this apparently you can expect around 3% of backers to drop off at this stage too. Currently speaking to the 7% whose payments didn't go through (could be funds, could be change of card details, suspicious transaction flag etc. - looking back, a transaction on the stroke of midnight on Halloween should probably be flagged as suspicious ha!)0 -
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Hey Diyu,
great to see that message re the salmon straps - I assume there's no colour options with these? Also, just curious whether you got any pics of the 'standard' Solas with the purple salmon strap? I assume it wouldn't work as well as it does with the eagrán bradán feasa edition but would be interested to find out..
Hey Colm - at the moment we'll only be offering the standard black - my understanding is that the cost is such that ordering multiple skins from Iceland for Turas wouldn't be great financial sense for one-two straps etc (Iceland being non-EU incurs custom duties/VAT on import).
I would be pretty hesitant to offer the purple with opened scales in any case as it is something that requires a bit more care to look after - it played a large role in deciding to go with closed scales salmon for the extra durability. The open scales requires pretty careful treatment to avoid tearing of the leather (salmon leather is very thin - relatively tough for its thinness - but I think from a "mass consumer" product point of view it's just much safer to offer closed scales to avoid potential negative customer feedback).
As for the purple with the silver - you're right in that it might be a little too overwhelming for the standard silver indice.Is there a time limit on the strap upgrade?
Also, is the salmon strap in addition to or instead of the tan horween one?Another quick one on the strap option, will backers still receive the standard strap and the salmon ones as an extra or does the upgrade basically replace the standard?
Yeah - it would be in addition to the Horween strap - so you'll get both (though I'll mount it on the salmon by default if you get the two).
There'll only be one clasp though (to avoid confusion) - so to switch between the two you'd need to unmount the clasp from one strap and attach to the other (or get a second unmarked clasp) - Aliexpress/ebay have cost effective options
I'm going to leave the first salmon leather order numbers till after this weekend when hopefully most people will have looked and decided. It will be possible for additional backers to add on salmon straps later too I imagine - it will take around 1-2 months for Robin to get all the straps finished for this round (around 300 Horween and 30 salmon) - so after he is done anyone on the fence can take a look and see if they want it - we have 29 salmon straps ordered so far so it's definitely going ahead and more photos will be provided once completed.
Effectively I plan to have two batch of orders - one at the start of next week - and one final one to pick up anyone who wants it at the end of February (to give Robin ample time to make the straps).0 -
Not perfect by any means - but as a non-photoshop pro this was my attempt to correct the rotor on the professional shots (by retaking shots of the rotor and merging it into the existing pro photo). The lighting doesn't replicate exactly the angles the pro used but I think it does a good enough job of giving people an idea of what the watch looks like (in no way do I find it "ugly" as somebody has stated )
I think anyone else who wants to really inspect the rotor up close will be able to see it in the numerous reviews (which all use the correct rotor) - some of which include macro shots too.
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Thirdfox.
Best overall for me would be a bungee strap, only thing that really works with a drysuit.
I tried to get maratec nitrox nato straps, 330 mm nato's, sold out no longer available.
My orange monster or citizen are fine in warm water on the bracelet/put strap. I usually roll back the wetsuit sleeve.
The spring bars are the single failure point. For my suunto computer, I use a bungee fed through both sides of the strap, if the strap goes, the bungee keeps both together and you've a chance to recover.
I also thought that stainless end links should be available with just say 3 off 4 mm holes in them. Run three bungee chords through the endlinks, works for wet and dry suits, forearm.
I also thought of epoxying a PU strap to make a divers extension, works best with two of the same strap, one normal, the other glued to act as an extender, bungee through the lot.
The pelagos solution is nice, but maybe over engineered. Ideal for desk diving when the air con shrinks your wrist.
Just wanted to thank you again for giving me this idea - it's something I really think will be appreciated by any divers who buy the watch - or at least give people an idea of the utility of bungee cords for their own dive computer/watch.
I really, really love the simplistic idea of bungee cords - it really ties into what I've designed for the Equinox - solid endlink with three 4mm holes drilled in - simplistic and effective instead of faffing about with Pelagos springs (their system is definitely "over-engineered" - but we watch collectors usually love that ha!)
One thing I can reveal about the Equinox now - the caseback screw in design will be using the Vostok system - it's the simplest, most effective system I've encountered that preserves WR rating. It even allows for easy caseback changes (if you don't want to buy a new watch
) - solid or sapphire can all be easily done. I've loved the Vostok system but just wished it wasn't in such a "brutalist" soviet/russian watch - I think it would be nice to have it in a watch that could be compared to a Seamaster in terms of refinedness.
I am speaking to my factory partner about the solid endlink with triple bungee now (they're going to hate me by the end of this - always asking for things that no-one has ever asked them to do).
And as you rightly say - springbars are the biggest failure point - so drilled lugs and non-quick release for the bungee "strap" whereas the metal bracelet could(?) come with QR springbars (in two minds about that).
I better start practising my fisherman knots:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=on8llx3z59g
Hopefully the bungee strap will be recognised as something being built specifically to cater to them (I wonder if it should be offered as an option just to cut down on wastage - I expect 90%+ of people won't be using the watch to dive with - maybe even to just offer the solid endlinks with holes and the divers will already have their 3mm/4mm bungee cords to make their own straps?)0 -
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I've never dived with an internal bezel
I can totally see the advantage to it, it makes knocks and nudges far less likely to screw up your timings.
As another PADI AOW/Rescue Diver I've been really intrigued by the bungee strap idea.
Sheer genius from NJ, simple robust and effective.
Like most great ideas, one of those "I can't believe I never thought of that!" ones.
On the bezel, yes some sort of captive/lock is the ideal but having only ever used rotating bezels.
I'll be following the developments here with interest.
Unidirectional on a dive watch is IMO a safety feature that shouldn't be overlooked, tho.
It prevents accidentally going over your time and gives a degree of security I've bi-.
Edit: NVM, just realized you mean crown action and not bezel.
My bad.0 -
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I've never dived with an internal bezel
I can totally see the advantage to it, it makes knocks and nudges far less likely to screw up your timings.
As another PADI AOW/Rescue Diver I've been really intrigued by the bungee strap idea.
Sheer genius from NJ, simple robust and effective.
Like most great ideas, one of those "I can't believe I never thought of that!" ones.
On the bezel, yes some sort of captive/lock is the ideal but having only ever used rotating bezels.
I'll be following the developments here with interest.
Unidirectional on a dive watch is IMO a safety feature that shouldn't be overlooked, tho.
It prevents accidentally going over your time and gives a degree of security I've bi-.
Edit: NVM, just realized you mean crown action and not bezel.
My bad.
No it's actually interconnected - since a unidirectional crown would be a unidirectional bezel too and vice versa.
I'm leaning towards unidirectional for the diver use/office diver split - since people can still "fiddle" with the internal bezel without needing to unscrew the crown while it maintains the safety feature for actual divers. I know most people will be using the bezel for timing pizzas in all likelihood and in that case I think people would prefer not needing to unscrew crowns to get to the bezel action.I'ld go with an external unidirectional bezel. The internal is over complex,additional seal, fiddly to operate with wet or gloved hands. It also takes up dial space under the crystal, space better used by hands and markers.
A domed crystal is the way to go for better reading angle with TIR, so distortion might by an issue round the dial edge.
If you want a style of a second crown, put it in as an option for manual helium release.
In my experience, the bezel doesn't get nudged forward.
I'ld mark the bezel, with a few no deco stop limits, at the PADI OW and AOW depth limits, just a reminder that the diver may have stepped over the line.
There are several design reasons why we moved to internal bezel:
1: tungsten carbide won't be something that takes to bezel scallops - it is an extremely hard material that for practical purposes won't scratch (it's roughly the same hardness as sapphire) - conversely because it is so extremely hard making small etchings needed for bezels isn't possible (or may be very cost intensive):
2: we are using tritium as the illumination source - as such I'd (and my factory partners especially) like to put as much distance between the tritium and the wearer and having the tritium pip under the crystal makes my factory a lot happier than having it on a bezel pip:
3. It allows for greater design flexibility with bezel colour/design - since we know that the bezel won't be scratched it allows greater design choices for what we can put on the bezel.
From what I've found is that a flat crystal is more readable underwater except for that one angle where it reflects the water's surface - for domed you get greater distortion except when looking straight on?
See the comparison here:
https://watchlords.com/viewtopic.php?t=30654
Very interesting about the no deco limits - I'll have to think about how to incorporate this - makes good sense to incorporate it (18m = 20min) (30m = 56 (I can use 55min) - make do it with tritium markers in place of 20min/55min markings for better visibility underwater.0 -
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I dunno how useful this is T, or how accurate, NJ will know, but a few years back I was chatting with a diver about watches and I showed him a few of mine and one thing he pointed out was hands design. That apparently the minute and seconds hands are the most important by far. The hour hand could be almost an afterthought. He noted that with a lot of the divers out there the hour hand is the fancy one, often with a mercedes hand/pointer. EG
And note when military divers were issued the Rolex Sub, the first thing they did was insist on getting rid of the Rolex mercedes hands in favour of the Omega of the time.
Apparently this type of design was much better:
and this:
The dial being as much of a contrast as possible compared to the hands another one because as you go deeper the colours wash out, or disappear. The orange in the originals of the above was properly fluorescent which keeps colour and contrast for longer. If was "ordinary" orange paint against a black dial it's going to be hard to read. IIRC red and yellows tap out very quickly and blue and green last the longest?
And lots of lume. Those old divers when new would have glowed like torches. Free x ray time in the days of radium. When the Blancpain 50 fathoms was bought in by the US military(and 'rebranded" tornek rayville) when they were decommissioned they were buried in a deep hole on some military base. Just to be sure like.
When we look back at the evolution of divers watches particularly in the late 60's and into the 70's when actual divers added their input into design the above was very much in play and older designs started to look, well old hat.Rejoice in the awareness of feeling stupid, for that’s how you end up learning new things. If you’re not aware you’re stupid, you probably are.
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You're absolutely right (and I'm not just saying that because I've already incorporated those points into my design ) - I'm not quite ready to make it public yet - mainly because some people may take it badly if they think I'm not concentrating on delivering the Starlight (when actually right now it's out of my hands during the manufacturing phase and I *should* be working on the next model(s))...
But yes the Equinox design already:
1. incorporates a "main" minute hand and the hour hand is less emphasised;
2. has second hand that, though it has to be a sub-dial due to the HZ5000A movement, incorporates an element that tells you at a glance if the watch is running or not; and
3. colours chosen are the two last colours to disappear at depth - so better than orange in my opinion - in fact the last two colours you mentioned there are the ones chosen for the tritium (and using T100 tritium for the extra brightness and longevity compared to T25 for most tubes) - I'd expect 25-37.5 years of service from T100 tubes compared to 15 for T25. Doesn't hurt that Irish green-ness (not on the Weirs/Patek level ha) is a thing too.
Btw - that Doxa image you put up - they actually put the no deco table on the outside bezel there in red (you can see you get around 11 minutes if you go to -130 feet/40m) and around 50 minutes at -70 feet/21m. I think that the full graph may be a bit overkill for the majority of desk divers but to put in the 18m/30m (20min/55min) markings might be useful for novice divers (or some more tritium at least for the desk divers).
No lume paint will be used at all - it'll all be tritium based illumination.
And something for Niall - I'll definitely be testing the prototype out underwater (and also with gloves on) to ensure that it can be operated properly as a dive watch even with the internal bezel setup.
Some of the other things we'll have include:
1. No date option;
2. 2nd "fancy" dial option (less for actual divers perhaps but in keeping with our cool material use - it'll incorporate the green and black motif of the watch. Not that the black dial won't be fancy either - it'll just be more legible than the other "fancier" one 0 -
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As you well know and have laid out clearly TF, running seconds are a vital component of a good dive watch IMO.
I think a well lumed subdial could offer a quicker visual check than a centre seconds hand.
I don't know about others, but when the watch is running at 28800, I sometimes find it takes me a few seconds to be sure its moved.
Your test plan with gloves, in particular, will pay off in allowing you to judge the functionality.
The Bezel plan for NDC limits to 18mtrs is a good one. I know I'd floated the idea of cribbing from Citizen and their printing of the table on this rubber strap.
If the watch is used for diving, it's likely to be recreational in the main so that strikes me as a good idea.
My bezel use has always been countdown, but I've not really learned to use the time elapsed rather than time remaining method. Always willing to try
The 18 and 30 NDC limits are IMO a good idea particularly for recreational divers.
I'm wearing a domed diver at the moment but TBH after diving a couple of times with similar crystals flat is IMO far superior.
Flat double sided AR is as good as it gets for a diver IMO.0 -
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Thought it was better to respond here rather than the watch pics threadCyclingtourist wrote: »Don't want start an argument but are the public (customers) clamouring for a tourbillon? It always struck me as a solution to a problem that no longer exists and as such is an interesting but utterly useless complication in this day and age.
I'm probably missing the point but to me it's like all those people who want to climb Mount Everest even though it's been done numerous times already and is now just an item on certain people's bucket list.
The public weren’t clamouring for a micro-rotor either - nor really a more diver orientated diver watch either.
I think one reason why people enjoy tourbillons nowadays when you have things like the calibre 9100 with far superior accuracy (besides the price issue) is that it looks visually interesting. It’s why there are still watches with open hearts that show the escapement mechanism - a tourbillon is a more interactive open heart and has some “technical” reasons for existing too.
On the watch timer it is interesting because I can see the movement sway from +2 s/d when the carriage is in one position to -1 s/d in another - seems like my sample movement is a “good” example of the advantages a tourbillon can give you in timekeeping accuracy.
And yes - tourbillons from China have been done many times already - you range from 300ish euro to 2000 euro for standard ones and then you can reach silly money levels of tourbillon too with things like gyrotourbillons, double tourbillons, minute repeater ones etc.
Eclipse won’t “just” be a tourbillon though - there’ll be a very interesting concept behind the watch - something like I said - will be a foundation stone for the Lir repeater model too.
Oh and you’d be right to point out a repeater is also a nonsensical complication in an age of lume/torches on phones and...well mobile phones - but the watch is something that can appeal to the heart more than the head I guess!
As I’ve been quoted elsewhere as saying - I’m not interested in doing what has been done before - so rest assured the tourbillon model won’t “just” be a tourbillon (you can even look up Hangzhou tourbillon models on aliexpress to see what’s out there now )I think that releasing your own Tourbillon with the Solas S incorporated into the co axial cage would quite possibly be the biggest horological F you to all the "comic sans" naysayers out there!
On a side note, when are we going to get to see the dive watch thats number 2 or is that on hold until delivery of the starlight?
Ha yes - putting it front and centre (but not really too - this is the twist I’m going for) - a tourbillon that somehow can be understated (there’s a hint in the name of Eclipse too after all). My requirements on the tourbillon model gives both my factory partner and Hangzhou kittens in terms of my asks of them - on the other hand the factory partner has said that my request to get the bungee cord “strap” version of the Equinox diver strap shows them that I’m serious about putting consumer/backer/buyer experience first.
As for when the Equinox is getting some public unveiling - this will be after the Starlight has been delivered - this isn’t even purely down to “doing one thing at a time” - but tungsten moulds apparently need a 5 month lead time to get done. I’d only be happy to reveal designs that I know can work and have been prototyped properly. CAD is great in principle but I’m old school in wanting physical examination of products - you just don’t know how that bezel action will feel until you’re wearing diving gloves twisting the crown etc.
I think right now it could be like describing an elephant to someone who’s never seen one before - I’ve already revealed it’s:
A tungsten carbide case/bracelet (clasp will have to be stainless steel - though we may pvd coat it for hardness)
Tritium lume
Micro-rotor movement
Vostok-like caseback
Internal bezel
Dial material will be “special” again - in this case onyx or malachite - two whole dial options!
So you can let your imagination run wild with those parameters... the design is pretty much finalised - I’m fighting with the tungsten factory on what level of finishing we can put on the bracelet - I want round bevelled edge links which they say they’ve never done before (it’s harder to do in tungsten too) - but currently I don’t want to compromise and go with straight edges - round bevelling really makes a difference in comfort in my experience.
^ as almost everything in that list above is being custom made - you can see where the Starlight profits/extra funds have been spent 0 -
Finally got my backer spreadsheet fully updated with warnings, notes, etc. etc. sorted out...
Afterwards after updating all the information I ran a backer/customer country based search and it was an interesting result - the top five countries where backers/customers are based are:
1. Ireland - 69
2. US - 65
3. France - 16
4. UK - 11
5. Germany - 7
And 28 territories/countries in total.
Will Ireland have the highest micro-rotor watch ownership per capita in the world by June? It's not inconceivable that it will actually 0 -
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