Rotate Watches: Build Your Own Mechanical Wristwatch
Managed by Jennifer Zhang (the founder) and finance expert Rebecca Lee, Rotate Watches is an innovative brand exclusively dedicated to horology enthusiasts, hobbyists and wannabe watchmakers. It offers all-in-one kits to build your own mechanical watch.
Based in Los Angeles, California, this women-owned startup brand was launched in 2019 with a Kickstarter crowd-funding campaign, raising more than $91k, 600% of the goal.
The mechanical watch kit offered by Rotate Watches includes the parts required for a wristwatch, tools, and a user-friendly guide so that the customer can assemble a wristwatch without the help of any professional.
Inside the kit, you will find a 44mm diameter case, which comprises of three removable sections: a bezel ring with front sapphire crystal glass, a case-middle and a case-back with sapphire crystal. This makes the main body of the watch.
Next is the mechanical engine, which is a partly assembled hand-wound mechanical movement based on the Swiss-made ETA 6497-1 caliber.
Its screws, center gear and stem are kept separate so that the customers can fit these components themselves to complete the movement. This 17-jewels manual-wound movement provides a power reserve up to 44 hours.
The next part available in the kit is a beautifully finished dial featuring Roman hour-markers and a small-seconds dial at 9 o’ clock. All the three hands are kept in separate box. The baton-shaped hour and minute hands are treated with luminous coating. The kit also includes an onion-shaped crown and some small components of the watch.
The kit also includes three leather/suede straps and spring bars for fixing the straps with the watch body. Lug/strap width is 22mm. In this kit, you will also find the tools required to assemble the watch.
The list includes screwdriver, Rodico watchmaker’s putty, magnifying glass, tweezers, spring bar tool, cutter, glue and gloves. Finally, a complete watch assembling guide is also available with this kit.
With the above kit, the customer can build an elegant wristwatch that also allows the view of the mechanical movement through its transparent sapphire crystal case-back like luxury mechanical timepieces.
Presently the brand offers three configurations: Edison, Galileo and Wright. An all-rounder watch, Edison features a silver finished stainless steel case with white dial and black strap.
Enhanced with a luxurious touch, Galileo comes with a rose-gold finished steel case featuring an eye-catching blue dial and a matching blue strap.
A perfect classic dress watch, Wright has a silver finished stainless steel case with black dial and brown strap.
The brand also offers optional initials engraving for 2-3 characters. The watches come with lifetime warranty and the customer care facility of the brand operates 7 days a week.
Retail price of a full watch making kit is US $ 195. You can also separately purchase the movement, dial, straps, other components and tools.
Website: https://rotatewatches.com
