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If you are a fan of cars, racing and chronographs then the first Kickstarter project from Straton Watches may be worth your time. The new brand is launching today (Friday, July 31st) with their racing inspired Vintage Driver Chrono.
Kyle, the founder of Straton Watch Company has taken his love of classic racing cars and worked to put that inspiration into the Vintage Driver Chrono. As the name indicates the watch is a chronograph which is powered by the increasingly popular Seiko Mecha-Quartz movement. As we have mentioned before the Mecha-Quartz movement provides the long-term accuracy of a quartz movement and a chronograph that functions as if a mechanical chronograph. Which means 1/5th of a second “sweep” of the center seconds hand and instant snap-back reset of the chronograph. The sub-dials of the watch are for 24 hour display (3 o’clock), running seconds for the time (6 o’clock) and a 60 minute chronograph register (9 o’clock).
The design of the Vintage Driver Chrono pulld elements of Kyle’s Alfa Romeo Alfetta GT. He took inspiration from the dash of the car when considering the design of the dial. The rally straps and bright colors of the NATO straps add to that racing element. The Vintage Driver Chrono measures in at 44mm in diameter with a lug-to-lug distance of 50mm; the watch is 12mm thick and has 26mm lugs. The bezel is knurled for appearance only as it does not have a secondary function. It adds some interest to the design over a plain polished or brushed bezel. The case will have PVD and stainless finished available to backers.
The dial of the Vintage Driver Chrono has five color variations: black, blue, orange, grey and white. As mentioned above the dial has a 3, 6, 9 sub-dial layout for the chronograph minutes, running seconds and 24 hour hand. The dial printing is kept simple with just the brand name across the top of the dial below 12. All the hands, markers, number and even the logo are lumed. The crystal offered is a mineral crystal with a stretch goal to add Sapphire.
The Straton Vintage Driver Chrono is seeking 15,000chf (about $15,600 USD) to get the project underway. Stretch goals are listed for a new caseback design and the Sapphire crystal mentioned above. Pledges start at ~ $31 USD for a rally strap to contribute to the cause, and ~ $210 for the first 20 backers to get a Vintage Driver Chrono. You can hit up their Kickstarter campaign page to get more info and back the project.
