the allure of microbrands
Microbrands and Kickstarter projects have continued to spring-up in seemingly record numbers over the past 3 - 4 years. It seems as though literally everyone has an idea or design for a timepiece, and the various crowdfunding sources available have turned ideas into reality for many a burgeoning designer.
But what is driving all of this newfound creativity among emerging designers? It certainly isn't the lost art of watchmaking, as this professional skill only has passing interest with the majority of people in watch collecting circles, and designers of microbrands and / or Kickstarter projects certainly aren't putting additional time, effort, resources, and money into creating or modifying watch movements for their original, or semi-original creations.
Obviously, there is a trend within the watch industry that is influencing the current onslaught of microbrands. And the trend? Call it status quo, iconic styling, or boredom, but major watch manufacturers have been trotting-out the same models for years, with only modest design modifications, and watch collectors are yearning for more!
If anything, the advent of microbrand and Kickstarter projects gives the watch collector at large variety, and lots of it. Collectors that love the iconic timepieces, still have their choices, while collectors that want something different, can literally find anything from A to Z and in-between. It seems as though the microbrand craze will continue, at least for the near future. So get your deposit(s) ready for the next great crowdfunded project!