Kickstarter, anyone?
I backed my first Kickstarter campaign. It will be interest to see how this works. I figured if the watch isn’t what I am expecting, it will make an interesting gift!
Does anyone have experience with Kickstarter watch campaigns? How was the experience? Do you still have the watch? Do you actually wear the watch? Let’s see them!
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Ellis
Just an old guy with a lot of financially ruinous hobbies, including watches.
Indiana, USA
Member since
Last active: 7 hrs ago
7.48” / 19.00 cm
I love the extras and discount you get with kickstarter but I'm very impatient when it comes to waiting for it. That's a nice looking watch!
I love the extras and discount you get with kickstarter but I'm very impatient when it comes to waiting for it. That's a nice looking watch!
I hear you on the patience thing!
One of my new year resolutions this year was no more Kickstarter and no more pre-orders. And I am sticking to it.
Why? Well two main reasons.
Firstly, the long lead time inevitably gives rise to high expectations as you wait and hope for it to both arrive and be what you want. And for any watch that’s a lot to live up to. So the unboxing experience can leave you a little flat esp. if the watch has been “pushed” by some low integrity reviewers.
Secondly, I had one dismal experience on Kickstarter. The watches were well designed and the campaign marketing among the slickest I have seen. But the fund raising was too successful, the choices too complex and good designers and marketers do not necessarily make good project managers!
Ultimately my order was delivered over two years late and others are still waiting for their choices. The watch is fine but it basically reminds me of three years of frustration, pain and disappointment. The communication to backers during that difficult project was perpetually late and entirely feeble - essentially the bare minimum and often evasive and deceitful. I get it that they were struggling but transparency would have been so much better than silence. And was ultimately the nail in the coffin for me.
On the upside I did get one great watch from Kickstarter, great specs, great quality and great value. And there are only c.30 in this particular no date colour way. Definitely thank you and plaudits to these guys.
I sincerely hope that your experiences with Kickstarter live up to this one and you don’t ever have one as negative as I have described above (as I think that would put you off too).
Sorry I should add -
Be clear that you understand that with Kickstarter you are a backer/investor not a buyer and so your rights and recourse are very limited.
There is no guarantee that you will receive anything and on a very few occasions creators have disappeared with the monies and backers have received nothing.
Try to get a feel for the integrity of the creators (easier if they have run successful projects before). But ultimately you need to be able to afford to lose whatever you pledge.
Sorry I should add -
Be clear that you understand that with Kickstarter you are a backer/investor not a buyer and so your rights and recourse are very limited.
There is no guarantee that you will receive anything and on a very few occasions creators have disappeared with the monies and backers have received nothing.
Try to get a feel for the integrity of the creators (easier if they have run successful projects before). But ultimately you need to be able to afford to lose whatever you pledge.
All excellent points and ones I debated before deciding to back this campaign. Thank you for the thoughtful response!
One of my new year resolutions this year was no more Kickstarter and no more pre-orders. And I am sticking to it.
Why? Well two main reasons.
Firstly, the long lead time inevitably gives rise to high expectations as you wait and hope for it to both arrive and be what you want. And for any watch that’s a lot to live up to. So the unboxing experience can leave you a little flat esp. if the watch has been “pushed” by some low integrity reviewers.
Secondly, I had one dismal experience on Kickstarter. The watches were well designed and the campaign marketing among the slickest I have seen. But the fund raising was too successful, the choices too complex and good designers and marketers do not necessarily make good project managers!
Ultimately my order was delivered over two years late and others are still waiting for their choices. The watch is fine but it basically reminds me of three years of frustration, pain and disappointment. The communication to backers during that difficult project was perpetually late and entirely feeble - essentially the bare minimum and often evasive and deceitful. I get it that they were struggling but transparency would have been so much better than silence. And was ultimately the nail in the coffin for me.
On the upside I did get one great watch from Kickstarter, great specs, great quality and great value. And there are only c.30 in this particular no date colour way. Definitely thank you and plaudits to these guys.
I sincerely hope that your experiences with Kickstarter live up to this one and you don’t ever have one as negative as I have described above (as I think that would put you off too).
Sorry re-reading this I need to make a point clear!
The watch pictured came from a terrific campaign and project. It is not the watch from the dismal experience.
I think I have back five or six watches on Kickstarter and have received product each time (with one from 2023 yet to be delivered but hopefully on track).
So from those - one was excellent, the others are fine (even the one from the dismal project) and one is yet to be received. I have only sold one (as it was a bit hefty for me and it overlapped too closely with another watch I wear more) and I got 85% of my money back (ignoring time value of money).
Time Master 70'S from Ferro & Company is launching on March 19th
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ferrowatch/time-master-everyday-watch-that-takes-you-back-to-70s