4 photos
Los Angeles-based watchmaker Vaer is announcing its first automatic offerings via Kickstarter, including models based on the Japanese Miyota 9015 movement as well as models based on Swiss ETA movements. Various dial designs, movement and strap options are available at several different price tiers, ensuring that there’s effectively something for everyone. Best of all, each model is eminently affordable considering the watches’ specs and accessories.
The Miyota and ETA 2824-2-based models are largely similar in dial aesthetics to the brand’s initial quartz-based offerings, and resemble classic field watches of the mid-20th century. These models will feature BGW9 Super-LumiNova-coated hands and numerals, stainless steel 40mm cases with screw-down crowns and case backs and 100m of water resistance. Pricing on the Miyota-based version will be $425 on Kickstarter and $599 retail, while the ETA 2824-2-based version will sell for $449 on Kickstarter and $599 retail. You also get the option of one of three different dial designs (Design, Heritage or Field), the latter two of which have the further option of either date or no date.
A third version, based on the famed World War II-era “Wrist.Watch.Waterproof” (“Dirty Dozen”) watches made for the British MOD, will be based on the relatively rare ETA 2895 automatic movement with sub-seconds dial. These will sell for $599 on Kickstarter and retail for $849.
Each watch will ship with the buyer’s choice of two 20mm straps in any combination of the following: a premium nylon strap with upgraded hardware; a Horween quick-release leather strap; a Horween single-pass leather strap; or a silicon two-piece, quick-release strap. There are also several different colors available for the “ocean-ready straps” (non-leather models).
This is a great opportunity to get a handsome field watch in myriad configurations for just a few hundred bucks with a couple of great strap options. Vaer is also a known quantity — though this is the brand’s first crowdfunding effort, the company was established back in 2015 and has been producing quartz models for several years. Check out the Kickstarter campaign (which, incredibly, has already reached more than twice its funding goal on the first day) for all the pertinent info and to order.
