By Jovan Krstevski
Who here ain’t heard of wild horses? In fact, when it comes to horse racing, I often tend to lean on horses with wild inclinations. It is easy to spot them because they have this strange aura, beautiful looks but with absolutely stunning speed, makes me wonder how the jockeys can ride them and still win. Do you love horses, especially the wild beautifully breed ones?
If you do, then you’re no stranger to the Stranger Watches. It’s great having this start-up present us with some fresh ideas, but watches dedicated to Thoroughbreds go back as far as the 80’s in Kazakhstan, lying on The Great Silk Way. No wonder why the creator is so inspired by Thoroughbreds that he actually designed watches so intricately woven to represent the magnificent animals.
Currently, the collection is available for pre-order via KickStarter with substantial discounts and attractive perks. So what’s in it for the backers? If you’re one of the first 20, you basically get a free high quality T-shirt with Stranger Watch branding. As for the rest, you also get a USB card with some home brewed data uploaded in it.
You gotta love this guy, he knows how to fuel your excitement particularly the unique Cufflinks with engraved signature logo. As for the details of the Stranger Watches, there are basically four stunning models: Andalusian, Oldenburg, Mangalarga, and Akhal Teke. They’re practically derived from the names of magnificent Thoroughbreds and since I’m a sucker for winners, I definitely like the names and truth be told, the watches are extremely nice with some classic appeal and definitive power flowing through it.
Now, let’s go examine the physical watch. If you wonder why I like this start-up, I simply adore simplicity and magnificence. The case is using a 304 grade steel that is non-magnetic. This kind of steel is tough with high resistance to corrosion so if you’re the kind that sweats a lot on field work, no worries at all. On the case side, you will see grain design with a combined matte and glossy finish.
The feel is an immediate classic but you will like it as there is harmony between the lugs and the crown with the subtle branding at the crown’s head. The bezel is simple, smooth and goes with each model’s inspiration. As usual, I prefer the darker model but the darker hands also make it harder to read time. The caseback is definitely awesome as it exhibits the movement and it has markings for the specific model. The sapphire crystals on both the front and back are scratch resistant.
The dial is where the inspiration is mostly engrained, and if you know the animals mentioned, you can practically see the association. Aside from the mysterious 7 o’clock highlight, everything is great and all models feature Weekdays, Months and 24 Hour presentation. If you look closer, you’ll see that it’s also an etched dial which is quite remarkable.
The Stranger Watch uses the not so strange Miyota 9120 which is of course well proven when it comes to reliability and quality. If you want to see more of the movement, just flip the watch and on the exhibition caseback, you will see the self-winding semicircular rotor which winds the mainspring. Oh and it’s definitely 5ATM waterproof.
As for the straps, the stainless models use Black Leather Straps while the Akhal Teke and Mangalarga use the Brown Leather Strap, all of which uses standard buckle. The price handsomely starts at $349 but it’s all worth it.
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JOVAN KRSTEVSKI – FOUNDER, PROPRIETOR & EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Watch collector, aficionado and an Event profile in the Swedish nightlife. He launched Watchgeek back in 2011, which is now known as WristReview and is one of the most widely read watch blogs on the Web. He quotes ’WristReview is a site to help people find, explore, discover and enjoy wristwatches.’ His passion jump started in his early teens, when he was given his first mid-range wristwatch which was an Omega Seamaster. Since then he has always been in love with wristwatches! Besides WristReview, he also writes for a number of publications. Read his articles here.
