Sponsored Post
The McDowell Time DelRay, a new watch I am currently launching on Kickstarter, will have a starting price of only $250. The introductory Kickstarter price represents a savings of $150 off the eventual retail price. McDowell Time is making this special offer via Kickstarter to help raise brand recognition and fund start-up costs. The McDowell Time DelRay is an American-designed and -assembled watch with a 2-year warranty.
The Goal
My name is Bill, and I am the creator of the McDowell Time DelRay watch. When I started this project, my goal was to create a clean and simple watch that is high-quality, affordable, and unique. I believe I met those design goals while keeping the watch attractively priced and adding a unique movement to catch the eye of watch enthusiasts. Critics have weighed in with the same sentiment: “One of the most unique aspects of the McDowell Time DelRay, aside from the design, is the movement utilized.” -Patrick Kansa
Why Build The DelRay?
I’ve always been interested in all things mechanical, a trait I inherited from my dad who possesses a natural ability to work on and fix just about anything. While I don’t have all his innate abilities, I’ve been fortunate to share his passion for mechanized processes. This shared interest for machines eventually led to watches, the integration of finely crafted mechanics and fashion.
My love of watches was further fueled when my in-laws gave me my first luxury watch as an engagement gift. While I’ve always admired fine timepieces from afar, this present was the first time I could hold and appreciate a nice watch on a daily basis. A watch revolution then started in my life, and I became obsessed with analyzing every watch I came across, critiquing the minor details which culminate in the overall design and feel.
I eventually started to envision my ideal watch, and slowly the mental image of the McDowell Time DelRay took shape. After enough time and motivation from others, I finally decided “Why not try to build it?” The DelRay is the first watch I’ve designed, and I’ve spent countless hours scrutinizing every detail, trying to make it perfect. This process has had a steep learning curve, with many refinements along the way. Personal preferences vary greatly, and beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but I believe everyone can admire the classic elegance of the McDowell Time DelRay.
The Design
This watch was born from the design cues of early WWI trench watches. Trench watches traditionally have a smooth, round case with tiny wire lugs attached. By today’s standards, the numbers on a vintage trench watch are quite oversized, to provide maximum visibility for the wearer. The McDowell Time DelRay incorporates these features, but in a more modern approach. The case with its rounded features and wire lugs is a direct homage to years past. The numbers on the McDowell Time DelRay are bold, but not too oversized, thereby becoming more subdued and not overpowering the watch face.
The McDowell Time DelRay is a tremendous value, especially given the high build quality which incorporates stainless steel, sapphire crystal, and C3 Super-LumiNova. It’s a modern take on a traditional WWI trench watch, blending the vintage round case and lugs with an updated hybrid auto-quartz movement. The custom 44mm case uses wire lugs, and is the perfect compromise of bold wrist presence without being too large. Balancing out the watch case is a proportionally sized 22mm strap which we’ve chosen specifically for this piece.
Movement
The most unique aspect of this watch is the Auto-Quartz (Kinetic) movement. The Seiko YT57 movement provides the benefits of both automatic and quartz watches. The automatic movement is the typical rotating counter weight, and is visible via a sapphire caseback. Instead of the rotating mechanism winding a spring, the YT57 stores energy in a small capacitor. This electrical energy is then used to power the quartz operation of the watch, which provides extremely reliable timekeeping. This combination of rotational mass converting to electrical energy is a true hybrid approach.
Technical Specs:
• Case – 316L Stainless Steel, Polished or PVD Black Coated
• Case Width – 44MM
• Lug Width – 22MM
• Thickness – 11MM
• Crystal – Sapphire Crystal with Anti-Reflective Coating
• Movement – Seiko Epson YT57 Auto-Quartz (Kinetic)
• Hands – Classic Styling with C3 Super-LumiNova applied
• Strap – Chestnut or Black Genuine Leather with White Stitching
• Water Resistance – 10ATM
• Warranty – 24 Months
Leather Straps
The McDowell Time DelRay comes with a black or chestnut genuine leather strap produced by Hadley Roma. Hadley Roma has been making watch straps since 1904, and is a world leader with headquarters and production facilities in the United States. We chose these straps because of their great looks, durability, and comfort. The straps are oil-tanned leather with heavy padding, contrasting stitching, and are water-resistant.
Production
When it came to choosing a production partner, we could have easily outsourced everything overseas, but we did not. We partnered with Smith & Bradley, a true American Watch Company where all watches are built in the USA. That means the McDowell Time DelRay was designed in the USA, will be built in the USA, and will be serviced in the USA for 2 years should anything happen. When backing the McDowell Time DelRay via Kickstarter, you are backing a quality American-built watch, with a unique movement, at an amazingly low price of $250.
Please visit the McDowell Time DelRay Kickstarter page for more information:
– McDowell Time DelRay watch Kickstarter campaign
– mcdowelltime.com
– @mcdowelltime on Instagram
