Can it be done at scale? A fully modern, automatic watch built in the USA that’s made to last a lifetime and that starts at less than $1,000?
Vortic Launches Colorado Watch Company, a New Sister Brand
FORT COLLINS, Colo. — (Sept. 26, 2023) — Vortic Watch Company is proud to announce the launch of its first sister brand – Colorado Watch Company. Today, the company is releasing two new, fully modern wristwatches for pre-order on Kickstarter, the popular crowdfunding site. The watches are built in the USA — predominantly in Colorado and Arizona — using American-assembled automatic movements.
R.T. Custer and Tyler Wolfe, co-founders of Vortic and Colorado Watch Companies are excited to debut the watches they’ve “been dreaming of making for the last decade.”
“We’re excited to showcase the manufacturing capabilities we’ve built here in Colorado across the ten years of running Vortic, and we’re stoked to share what’s possible given our new collaboration with Fine Timepiece Solutions in Arizona,” said R.T. Custer, Co-Founder & CEO.
The co-founders decided to release the new company on Kickstarter so they could gauge the enthusiasm and support for a new watch brand like this and collect feedback from customers, supporters, and fans on everything from product design to marketing and sales methods.
“The initial question we asked ourselves was, ‘Can we build a watch at scale in the United States that’ll last a lifetime and that can start at less than $1,000?’ As small business owners, we’re creating these watches for ourselves just as much as we’re making them for our customers.” commented Tyler Wolfe, Co-Founder & Chief Product Officer.
The “Field Watch” and “GCT Watch” by the new Colorado Watch Company will be available for pre-order on Kickstarter from September 26th to October 26th, 2023. The crowdfunding goal is to raise $250,000 in those 30 days.
“We want our customers to be part of this company from the start. We want you to really feel something when you put these watches on. You’re not just buying a watch; you’re supporting our American Dream. You’re joining a community of people who want watches to be made ‘here… not there,’” Custer added.
The Field Watch by Colorado Watch Company is 40mm in diameter and comes with a white or metal dial and a steel or DLC black case. It will retail for $995. It is available for $795 to the first 100 “early birds” and $895 for the next 30 days only on Kickstarter.
“I designed the Field Watch for me. I’m a guy who wants to be able to wear my watch anywhere, anytime, doing anything, and never have to worry about it. I also wanted to make something at an attractive price point to where I’m at in my life. As a guy who just turned 30 and bought my first house, I really don’t want to spend more than $1,000 on a watch,” said Wolfe.
The GCT Watch by Colorado Watch Company is 42mm in diameter, comes with a black dial, and a steel or DLC black case, and will retail for $1,395. It is available for $1,195 to the first 100 “early birds” and $1,295 only on Kickstarter.
“The GCT Watch has been a dream of mine ever since we released Vortic’s Military Edition in 2019, said Custer. “I asked Tyler if he could make me an “homage” to one of our own products; something that is inspired by the great history of the US Army Air Corps, and looks like our highly collectible limited editions, but that’s smaller, lighter, super durable, and has a modern, automatic movement. This is it. It’s finally here!”
The dials, cases, and most other metal components like the crown and buckle are made in the company’s Fort Collins, CO manufacturing facility. The custom black rubber straps will be made in Minnesota, and the sapphire crystals will be made in New Hampshire. By cost, the new Field Watch is 87% American with 48% of the cost coming from Colorado and 23% from Arizona.
For the movements and final assembly of the watches at scale, Colorado Watch Company has partnered with Fine Timepiece Solutions (FTS) in Fountain Hills, Arizona. FTS brings to the partnership an American-assembled automatic movement, built using components sourced from all over the world. FTS also offers final assembly and quality assurance to watch brands at scale; something very attractive to Colorado Watch Company as the team is currently small.
The Kickstarter campaign can be accessed by heading to www.coloradowatches.com and clicking “pre-order now”. This link will allow you to view renderings of the final products, images of current prototypes, and videos of the manufacturing processes used.