Launching on Kickstarter – Corva Watches Saxodate, a Nice Automatic Piece Inspired by the 1970s

The watchmaking industry is in a switch, as many new projects see the light every day. While on the high-end segment, the brand-retailer way to sell watches seems quite difficult to change, for value proposition watches though, we now have to deal with 2.0 behaviours – in short, Kickstarter and the likes. Of course, we don’t cover all of them, however, from time to time, one project can tickle our interest – and so was the case for the Corva Watches Saxodate, a nice automatic watch inspired by the 1970s and driven by Indonesian guys with a long-term passion for watches.

What is rather impressive these days is that we see brands emerging as mushrooms grow in October… Like it or not, however, something should be noticed. While previously passionate people were mainly able to fulfil their love watches only by collecting them, crowd-funding now allows them to actually create their own watches. This is a reality that even us, posh watch-lovers that we are here, can’t deny. Such a story is what lead to the creation of Corva Watches. Behind this name are Indonesian collectors that study overseas. Their passion for the watch-world has driven them into the decision to make their own brand.

The guys behind Corva Watches don’t hide their love for 1970s icons, such as the Royal Oak, the PP Nautilus, the GP Laureato or the Piaget Polo – all of them being icons of this era and proud representatives of what is called the “luxury sports watch” segment. Of course, Corva Watches plays in another league and the creators never intended to fight with such high-end emblematic pieces, yet, you can feel a certain influence in the design of the Corva Watches Saxodate – there are 1970s codes all around, which is clearly not to disappoint us.

The case imagined by Corva Watches for the Saxodate is a 42mm stainless steel monocoque, barrel-like container. Integrated lugs, circular brushing on flat surfaces and polished bevel on the flanks make the watch quite pleasant to the eye. The look is complemented by a metallic bracelet – in order to create a proper sporty-chic style. Overall, the design is clean and well proportioned. On top is a domed sapphire glass, both for a slight vintage look and to ensure durability. The case is water resistant to 100m, enough to withstand most of the situations, including leisure activities.

The dial of the Corva Watches Saxodate is in the same vein: clean, simple and focussed on the essential. Yet, there are some nice details, such as the applied markers. Both the indexes and the hands have luminous material, to bring night-time visibility. Three versions will be available: white or black as standard versions, and a limited edition to 150 pieces (only on Kickstarter) with a gradient midnight blue dial – darker on the periphery of the dial.

Inside the case and visible through the sapphire crystal caseback of the Corva Watches Saxodate is an automatic movement. Indeed, to power the watch, the guys at Corva Watches have chosen to use Seiko, and their NE15 movement. This movement, with a comfortable 50h power reserve, is known to be reliable and accurate enough. It features a bi-directional winding, the Diashock antishock system, 24 jewels, ticks at 21,600bph, and is manufactured by Seiko Time Instrument. it displays the time with 3 hands (hours, minutes, seconds) and the date in a window at 3.

The Corva Watches Saxodate is now available on Kickstarter, with prices starting from US$399. Later, the watch will be available on the brand’s website, at a price of US$670. As a side note, the brand offers a 5-year warranty on the watch, which is clearly very reassuring. More details and orders on Kickstarter and on www.corvawatches.com.

Technical Specifications – Corva Watches Saxodate

• Case: 42mm diameter – Monocoque case in 316l stainless steel – brushed and polished – sapphire crystal on both sides – 100m water resistant
• Movement: Seiko NE15 – automatic winding – 3Hz frequency – 24 jewels – 50h power reserve – hours, minutes, seconds, date
• Bracelet: stainless steel 3-link bracelet with folding clasp