Certain brands have a reputation that is born of something other than just longevity or pure luxury. In the case of Ventura watches, established in 1989, the brand’s reputation is down to an ethos that places the emphasis on the process of design rather than the product. The goal? To create a truly honest product that connects with consumers through its remarkable functionality and the clarity of the reasoning behind every design decision.

The brand’s initial aim in its early days was to abandon the idea that design is an empirical expression. A desire to disrupt the industry by returning it to its roots led the brand to collaborate with established designers whose experience was often forged in complementary industries such as architecture.

Such was the background of Hannes Wettstein, who, in 1994, joined the team and submitted his proposal for a new watch that was not so much defined by its angles or colors, but rather by its specifications. Before his untimely death, Wettstein would go on to become a widely respected figure in the watchmaking industry, leaving a legacy at Ventura that persists to this day. It is a legacy that is reborn with the rerelease of his classic timepiece, the Ventura V-Matic EGO watch.

In 2016, Stephan Hurlemann, a close friend and colleague of Hannes Wettstein, was asked by Ventura to resurrect the V-Matic EGO. The project was not to be a simple rehash of an old design, nor would it be an homage. It would become a totally new watch born of the process that defined the original V-Matic’s genesis. In order to ensure he did his friend’s great work justice, Hurlemann spent many hours in the Museum für Gestaltung Zürich where the ventura archives are stored. Three years of effort and passion were poured into an undertaking that is now ready to come to market, with a new way of doing business that reflects the changing habits of the modern consumer.

For this release, Ventura has decided to forsake distribution partners and will, instead, use a direct-to-consumer approach. Aside from the obvious price breaks that this will enable the brand to offer customers, Ventura believes that removing layers of market convolution not only expresses the company ethos of transparency more effectively, but also enables the company to be more agile by providing a platform for customer interaction that will ultimately inform the direction of the brand. That is, in fact, the reason why the Kickstarter platform was chosen for this product launch, as it gives the brand a direct channel to its audience.

The latest Ventura V-Matic will be a 41mm watch, made from PVD-coated hardened titanium, fitted with an exhibition caseback (snap-on) with a sapphire window. The watch will be water resistant to 30 meters and come on either a 20mm five-piece link bracelet in PVD-coated hardened titanium or an Italian leather band in black. Both the bracelet and the strap will be fastened by a folding clasp with a comfort extension link.

Inside these watches, a customized ETA 2892-A2 ticks away at 28,800 vibrations per hour and boasts a power reserve of 42 hours. This simple Swiss-made movement shows the hours, minutes, and seconds, as well as the date (at 6 o’clock) with a rapid set function. Also, the Ventura “dot-date” returns, incorporating a neat callback to the original models. The Kickstarter campaign for the new Ventura V-Matic EGO has just launched, and backing the project at this stage can earn you some significant savings. The exclusive launch prices will be $1,000 for the bracelet version and $920 for the leather strap version. These prices will rise to $1,500 and $1,350 respectively following the campaign. Check out the live Ventura V-Matic EGO campaign on Kickstarter here. For more information, visit venturawatches.com.

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