Latest Review
A few weeks back we did our fall crowdfunding round-up focusing on a few hopefuls trying to launch via Kickstarter or Indiegogo. We still have a little time before we revisit that post, but in the meantime we have The Brigadier by Mercer Watch Co. to take a look at.
The Brigadier is the first model from Mercer Watch Co. based out of New Jersey. The watch takes it’s name from Brigadier General Hugh Mercer, a doctor, soldier and leader who was a key figure in the Revolutionary War. Mercer County in New Jersey was named from Hugh Mercer and is where Mercer Watch Co. is based. The Brigadier is the first model against Mercer Watch Co.’s mission: a revolution in affordable watch design; specifically “We strive to design and produce custom mechanical time pieces of the utmost quality for an affordable price.”
The 42mm case for the Brigadier uses both brushed and polished surfaces and achieves a pleasant contrast between the two. The unadorned bezel is polished while the remainder of the case below is brushed. Other dimensions of the case include 12mm height and 22mm lugs. Mercer used a pumpkin style crown (seemingly with the top cut off) which appears large, but not huge.
Under the sapphire crystal the dial of the Brigadier comes in either black or white. The dial is multi layered with the center of the dial being the lowest point which has the Mercer Watch Co. logo below twelve and Brigadier Automatic above six o’clock. It also has a waffle pattern on this level of the dial. The next track has the hour and minute markers with a combination of stick and numbers around the dial. The hours for 6, 9 and 12 are Arabic numerals with stick markers for the other hours. The exception is 3 o’clock where the date is located. The minute track runs around the perimeter of this section with small numbers every five minutes and hashes for the rest. The upper level of the dial is an inner bezel of sorts. It has an inverted triangle at twelve and blocks for each hour after that, which in the production pieces will be lumed. Stick hands are present for the time with the minute and hour hands lumed and the seconds hand blued.
The movement choice for the Brigadier is the Miyota 9015 automatic movement which is visible behind a display back. The popular movement beats at 28,800 vph, has a hacking seconds hand and can be hand wound. Rounding out the package are a couple of strap choices, one with a curved end and the other straight. The straps are available in pebbled brown and black.
Pledge pricing for the Brigadier starts at $329 for one Brigadier, a $70 discount off MSRP, which is limited to 50 pledges or $629 for two of the watches. Mercer Watch Co. is seeking $35,000 in funding to be able to produce the watches and deliver by March 2015. The campaign is open now and runs through December 18, 2014. If you are interested or want more info you can visit the Mercer Watch Co. website and their Kickstarter campaign page. We will revisit Mercer after December 18 and see how they fared.
