WT Author: The KICKSTARTER WATCHES of 2021
The latest Kickstarter watches of 2021, the new mechanical wristwatch collection, built by WT Author. We assemble bespoke products full of character, meaning & originality.
Story
WT Author is an independent designer and watchmaker that builds limited edition, handmade watches from our workshop in Shropshire, UK.
We collaborate with talented CNC toolmakers, leather artisans and sustainable print studios to assemble bespoke products full of character, meaning and originality. Each watch is built-to-order and acts as much as an eye-catching talking point, as it is an incredibly functional timepiece.
In September 2013, we successfully launched our very first watch collection, the Nº 1905 watch. And every year since, we have built a legacy that charts the evolution of the wristwatch by single-handedly promoting each new item ourselves.
This year we introduce our eighth watch collection to Kickstarter with our most lucrative series of Rewards & Pledge Levels to date…
The Nº 1973 watch #Builttoorder
The Nº 1973 watch by WT Author.
Following the launch of our seventh collection (the Nº 1968 Racer watch) we’re proud to announce our latest campaign for the Nº 1973.
Named after the year the iconic G10 NATO strap was issued by the British Ministry of Defence, the Nº 1973 watch introduces the renowned diving aesthetic to our growing collection of timepieces that so far includes examples of military, aviation and racing stories to name a few!
The Nº 1973 is an automatic and hand wound mechanical wristwatch with a quick date setting, 24 hour subdial display, unidirectional rotating bezel and exhibition back. Each stainless steel watch head measures 45mm diameter × 49.5mm length (lug-to-lug) × 14.45mm depth (including lugs) and is tested to 20 ATM (200m / 650ft) water resistance.
The watch head utlises a beautiful combination of meticulously polished and carefully brushed surfaces. This has been elevated further with the use of highly polished silver-tone numerals on a matt black, ion plated, unidirectional rotating bezel. The robust screw down crown features a bold, deep red anodised finish, consistent with all of our past collections. The screw down exhibition back, printed with the WT Author mark and uniquely allocated serial number, gives the wearer uninterrupted access to view the inner workings of the intricate mechanical movement. The bespoke watch head is finished with a duo of heavy-duty interchangeable G10 NATO straps in jet black and blazing orange finishes.
THE Nº 1973 Blue
The Nº 1973 Blue features a contemporary cobalt finish applied to a fine matt dial, that brings a subtle contrast against polished silver-tone indices. The debossed 24 hour subdial contains a striking orange and yellow design that is tonal to the gloss painted outer minute track. Bespoke hour markers are applied delicately to the dial with a stunning Super-LumiNova infill to compliment the exquisitely designed inner minute track, second hand and hour / minute hand inlays.
The Nº 1973 Green
The Nº 1973 Green incorporates a vivid neon green finish applied to a pure matt dial, that brings a soft contrast against polished silver-tone indices. The debossed 24 hour subdial contains an eye-catching orange and black design that is tonal to the gloss painted outer minute track. Unique hour markers are applied carefully to the dial with a magnificent Super-LumiNova infill to compliment the perfectly designed inner minute track, second hand and hour / minute hand inlays.
THE Nº 1973 Black
The Nº 1973 Black includes a jet black finish applied to a beautiful matt dial, that brings a clean contrast against polished silver-tone indices. The debossed 24 hour subdial contains a pronounced orange and yellow design that is tonal to the gloss painted outer minute track. Custom hour markers are applied accurately to the dial with a functional Super-LumiNova infill to compliment the precisely designed inner minute track, second hand and hour / minute hand inlays.
THE Nº 1973 Black
The Nº 1973 Orange brings a traditional “diving orange” finish applied to a delicate matt dial to bring a discreet contrast against polished silver-tone indices. The debossed 24 hour subdial contains a notable yellow and black design that is tonal to the gloss painted outer minute track. Signature hour markers are applied precisely to the dial with a stunning Super-LumiNova infill to compliment the flawlessly designed inner minute track, second hand and hour / minute hand inlays.
THE Nº 1973 Yellow
The Nº 1973 Yellow contains an intense yellow finish applied to a exquisite matt dial to bring a restrained contrast against polished silver-tone indices. The debossed 24 hour subdial contains a pronounced orange and black design that is tonal to the gloss painted outer minute track. Tailored hour markers are applied sensitively to the dial with an impressive Super-LumiNova infill to compliment the authentically designed inner minute track, second hand and hour / minute hand inlays.
The Mechanical Movement
In 1959, Citizen Watch established a movement manufacturing factory in the town of Miyota, Japan.
The caliber Nº 8217 is both an automatic and hand wound mechanical movement, assembled using only parts manufactured at Japanese plants. It is produced in-house by high-speed automatic assembly lines and undergoes strict quality checks.
The balance wheel is produced by human hands. Adjusting the eccentricity and horizontality of the balance spring is the most difficult procedure, and cannot be expressed in numerical form by machinery.
The movement is precise and durable with high impact resistance. It is valued for its craftsmanship, artistry and beauty; all major parts are made of metal to enhance colour and texture.
We trust Citizen due to the high quality and stable supply that our products require.
The Stainless Steel watch head
The Nº 1973 watch harks back to the golden age of diving from the 1970s. We have taken every essential aspect of this legendary style and modernised it from top-to-bottom within our own expertly engineered unique components.
The watch head securely houses the intricacies of the delicately assembled mechanical movement, displaying its complexity through the uninterrupted solid sapphire crystal rear lens. It has been designed to fit perfectly on the wrist within a robust and solid watch head that has been assembled to be put through its paces. The result is a timepiece with a 45mm diameter, a length of 49.5mm (lug-to-lug), all contained within a depth of 14.45mm (including lugs).
We effortlessly combine beautifully brushed and highly polished surfaces that meet to create a clean aesthetic with incredibly strong properties. The knurled watch head wall brings a dynamic style to catch the light at any given opportunity whilst offering a fantastically machined aesthetic.
The Unidirectional Bezel
The bold unidirectional rotating bezel offers quick functionality through substantial grip areas on the edge of the component. The high contrast aesthetic presented through the black, ion plated surface and silver-tone markers is enhanced further by a strong combination of matt and highly polished finishes.
The bezels original function serves to record the elapsed time for a diver’s descent. The 12 o’clock marker, containing Super-LumiNova, is aligned to the prominent minute hand to record up to 60 minutes of elapsed time. The unidirectional ratcheting mechanism stops any accidental movement to the bezel thus avoiding any chance of less time being recorded on a descent. As standard, the point of a diver’s return is clearly indicated from the 20 minute marker end point on the bezel.
The Screw Down Exhibition Back
The intricately machined screw down exhibition back includes deep, tooled recesses to reflect our established signature “poker chip” aesthetic influenced from our previous watch collections. The component includes a robust gasket to create a powerful seal that ensures water resistance tested to 200m / 20 ATM.
The exhibition back is fitted with a solid sapphire crystal lens to ensure the watch retains its maximum water resistance whilst offering an uninterrupted presentation of the mechanical movement’s inner workings.
The stable construction with precisely defined architecture has been designed and machined to be as beautiful as every other component on the watch. The rear lens is finished with our intricately printed mark and serial code to indicate its allotted number in the limited edition collection.
The Screw Down CROWN
The custom-machined, screw down crown enhances the water resistance. To defend the component from accidental knocks or other interactions, it is housed within a substantial crown guard that flows directly from the lines of the lug straight into the side of the watch head.
The crown is deliberately placed at the 4 o’clock position with lugs that fall tightly to the watch head, avoiding any discomfort to your wrist.
The Solid Sapphire Crystal Lens
The solid sapphire crystal lens is constructed in extremely high temperatures and made up of crystalline aluminium oxide. Each item is precisely cut with diamond saws that are then grinded and polished into shape for the finished product.
It offers significantly more scratch resistance vs. traditional glass, plastic or acrylic crystal as well as being extremely strong and shatter resistant. The solid sapphire crystal lens has an identical hardness to natural sapphire.
The Watch Dial
The watch dial is where we can be the most expressive. The Nº 1973 watch comes in five different colour options: Blue, Green, Black, Orange and Yellow. Each one carries a specific correlation of meticulously designed hour, minute and second indices. The hour markers utilise a correlation of our signature “tuning fork” indices applied securely to the dial, all with a Super-LumiNova infill to compliment the thick matt painted WT Author mark at the 12 position.
Thick gloss painted inner and outer minute tracks surround the dial, allowing details like the date window and model information at the 6 o’clock position to be picked up through a palette of contrasting colours. The result is a timepiece that’s rugged, reliable and legible.
The Watch Hands
The highly distinctive minute, hour and second hands are substantially sized with a combination of brightly coloured gloss paint and Super-LumiNova coatings. The bold forms have been designed to be easily read and visible against a dial if it is in total darkness.
The Super-Luminova Details
The Premium G10 NATO Straps
In 1973 the British Ministry of Defence issued soldiers with the very first G10 NATO straps. Originally, the design was only available in one colour; we are offering it in two – jet black and blazing orange.
With a 22mm lug width, our premium nylon straps are both highly functional and weatherproof, capable of handling a variety of environments.
2× G10 NATO straps to suit any occasion, smart or casual, serious or fun… And furthermore there are vast opportunities to change the style of the Nº 1973 watch simply by adding a new band.
The PACKAGING
Our packaging has been engineered to be 100% reusable and recyclable, as well as providing a lightweight solution to reduce wasteful distribution. We endeavour to use recycled stock at every possible opportunity. The inherent beauty of this repurposed material is adorned by our own exclusive artwork.
Every watch comes accompanied by the following items:
Signed and numbered sketch print
(limited edition watch sketch print with signature and corresponding number to match the watch’s serial code).
Signed and numbered watch blueprints
(limited edition technical drafts with signature and corresponding number to match the watch’s serial code).
Set of watch assembly photographs
(capturing the Nº 1973 watch build process).
Chapter 8 taken from The Book of WT Author
(The Nº 1973’s story visualised within a beautifully formatted booklet).
The Watch Specification
45mm Diameter Excluding Crown
49.5mm Length Lug-To-Lug
14.45mm Depth Including Lugs
22mm Lug Width
Each Colour Is Strictly Limited to 100 Items Only
20 ATM / 200m Water Resistance
Type 316L Stainless Steel
Unidirectional Rotating Bezel Engraved & Ion Plated
Screw Down Exhibition Back With Printed Serial Number
Solid Sapphire Crystal Lens Front & Back
Screw Down Anodised Aluminium Crown
Super-LumiNova Hand Inlays, Second Hand & Dial Details
2× Premium Interchangeable G10 NATO Straps In Black & Orange
The MOVEMENT Specification
Miyota Calibre Nº 8217 Mechanical Movement by Citizen Watch Co. Ltd.
Automatic & Hand Wound Functionality
24 Hour Subdial Display
Quick Date Setting
21,600 Vibration Frequency
40+ Hours Power Reserve
Parashock Anti-Shock System
The Rewards & Pledge LEvels
* : Pound Sterling (GBP) to United States Dollar (USD) conversion correctly estimated at time of publication.
The ADD-ON
Choose a 22mm solid stainless steel jubilee bracelet as an optional reward add-on to all pledges for £45 each instead of the usual £65. Designed to fit the Nº 1973 watch, the band can be added in multiples on any pledge to complement your chosen reward tier.
Shipping
After the Kickstarter campaign duration we will send you a form to let us know which colour options you would like (for ‘Duo’, ‘Trio’, ‘Quad’ and ‘Penta’ Rewards) as well as confirming your shipping address and other relevant information.
International Backers
Free international shipping.
You may be responsible for duties, fees and taxes applicable in your region.
Delivery
We expect to start shipping orders in November 2021. This deadline shouldn’t change but it is possible that the November estimate may alter. You can review our progress by checking the “Updates” section of our Kickstarter campaign, or contacting us at workshop@wtauthor.com
Warranty
Your WT Author watch is guaranteed against any defects in material or workmanship that may occur under normal use for a period of 24 months from the date of purchase. For more information please see https://wtauthor.com/guarantee/
Contact
Send us a message and you won’t be placed into a queue. We’ll get any issue addressed as fast as humanly possible – so you’re in good hands!
We’re not going anywhere: workshop@wtauthor.com
Follow
In The Press
Helen Seamons, The Guardian and Observer’s menswear editor:
“Invest in a good watch. WT Author styles are designed and built in the heart of the British countryside and inspired by the history of watch design.”
Ben Dahl, Cool Material Journalist:
“The WT Author watches are gorgeous. The throwback features make us feel connected to a past we only ever hear about in stories.”
Hugh Francis Anderson, Gentleman’s Journal Features Editor:
“WT Author are for the true adventurer – high-grade straps combined with unusual yet easy-on-the-eye faces make them an obvious choice. Not to mention their supreme quality too.”
Leo Davie, The Coolector Owner:
“We’ve definitely fallen for the retro appeal of WT Author watches and when you feast your eyes on the product shots below, we’re pretty confident you’ll join The Coolector in being wowed by their top notch timepieces.
REVIEWS
“I have the Orange Nº 1968 , It looks fantastic with the black leather strap and also keeps good time being an automatic it seems to keep better time than my Omega.”
“First found this brand at a stand at the London Classic car show, chatted with Sam who was very helpful and spent as much time as needed talking through the brand and the different chapters, I eventually chose the Nº 1940 in cream which arrived today, I’m well chuffed.”
“A great looking watch with a superb strap and I love it. I have many watches from Hublot to Citizen to Hamilton and this watch sits with them proudly, with it’s own character and charm.”
“I live in US and the guys at WT Author have been brilliant in ensuring my watches reach me quickly and in great condition. My favorite and most commented on is my black Nº 1914. Love that watch!!”
“I am the very proud owner of all the blue models and supporter of the brand since the first day. There is something about WT Author that you will never find in any brand alike, they tell a story and unfold the history of watchmaking and the world.”
“I was lucky to get for Christmas the Emmeline with both the metal and also the leather strap. It is beautiful – just perfect and I love the versatility of the different straps.”
Forecasting Timeline
About WT Author
We have shipped our products to over thirty countries, spanning four different continents. For seven years we have travelled across Europe, exhibiting at the most prestigious events in our industry. For us, it’s not just about the watches. It’s about making new friends. It’s about getting to know our customers on a personal level. These physical interactions open our eyes to important causes. Charity auctions have become a staple of our yearly calendar, having raised over £3,500 in the last two years alone for The Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal and Mission Motorsport.
Jon Shakespeare
Jon meticulously builds each watch in our workshop before being sent to all corners of the globe. Every item is assembled in-house, signed, packaged and wax sealed before being shipped. He leads our incredible after-sales support centre and photography studio, allowing us to be incredibly reactive and responsive to our customers.
Sam Holland
Sam is the embodiment of creativity. He gets under the skin of every design to give each component the opportunity to evolve. Year after year, he creates collections that are authentic, innovative and full of meaning, right here in our studio. He instils a sense of individuality into every watch, to pull away from anything else on the market.
For more information please visit our website https://wtauthor.com
The Digital Brochure
You can view the complete campaign brochure for The Nº 1973 Watch Collection on Issuu or download it here. It has everything you need to know about how you can support our Kickstarter campaign.
Footnote
Each colour is strictly limited to 100 watches only, meaning all ‘Duo’, ‘Trio’, ‘Quad’ and ‘Penta’ Rewards will be processed on a “first come, first served” basis, and priority is placed on fulfilling early backers primarily. We will however endeavour to meet all of our backer’s requests throughout; after the Kickstarter campaign duration we will send you a short form to indicate which colour options you would like (for ‘Duo’, ‘Trio’, ‘Quad’ and ‘Penta’ Rewards) as well as confirming your shipping address and other relevant information.
Risks & Challenges
WT Author has successfully launched seven collections, and forty five individual watch releases. The Nº 1973 will be our eighth watch collection. Our proven critical path has built in tolerances that make sure delays can be absorbed into the full process without affecting the final delivery. If any unforeseen circumstances impact the project schedule then our backers will be the first to be updated on any implications. Our thorough, honest and straightforward nature is an important quality of WT Author.
Learn about accountability on Kickstarter.
Environmental Commitments
Long-lasting design
Each product is assembled around a highly-reliable movement to give you the ability to maintain the watch with us directly or with another service. Our purpose-built workshop is located in a disused Royal Mail sorting office where we build and continue to fully service every product that is sold by WT Author.
Reusability and recyclability
Our packaging has been engineered to be 100% reusable and recyclable, as well as providing a lightweight solution to reduce wasteful distribution. We endeavour to use recycled stock at every possible opportunity. The inherent beauty of this repurposed material is adorned by our own exclusive artwork.
Environmentally friendly factories
Throughout the value chain, including its suppliers, the Citizen group aims to create a sustainable production process. Miyota Saku Factory was established as a “green park” to help reduce the effects on the environment. About 26,000 plants of 110 varieties have been planted on the facility grounds in order to help maintain and lower ground surface temperatures during all seasons of the year. What’s more “green” micro-climate zones also prevent heat build up, and allow for usage of natural rainwater for the growing plants. The site also incorporates LED lighting and high-efficiency compressors to further reduce electricity and gas consumption. Moreover, the building’ s smart environmental controls also utilize the heat exhaust and cooling for a more efficient air-conditioning system that contributes to lowering CO₂ emissions.
