Value Proposition – Wright Watches Noctua, elegance and mechanical movement for a (very) affordable price

Watches are, for us, for you, a passion… but obviously an expensive one. How many people on this planet can properly afford to buy a watch priced at 10,000 Euros / Dollars? Realistically, only a few. We’re probably talking about less than 2% of the population – and we’re not even counting those who can but mainly want to do it. However, if like many around you want to be part of the gang of mechanical watches’ owners, several solutions can be found at Seiko, Citizen or Swatch. And if you want something that will be (very) affordable and at the same time elegant and timeless, the Wright Watches Noctua could be a solution for you.

The concept of a luxury watch with mechanical movement will, for most of us, lead to a psychological price of, let’s say around, 1,000 Euros. It’s a reality, mechanical watches, especially Swiss Made watches, are expensive. It’s a passion that will definitely make your banker quite angry. Of course, solutions exist, like for instance Seiko 5 watches, several divers from the same brand or from Citizen, and even the 100% Swiss Made Swatch Sistem 51. All are priced much lower than what you could expect and, in the end, are great value for money. However, we can’t claim elegance in front of these – coolness yes, but these are watches that you’ll difficultly wear within a business meeting. Apart from the big names, smaller brands have seen birth recently, pushed by the internet factor and crowdfunding processes. Many failed, some came with good ideas. Today, a new contender is about to launch: the Wright Watches Noctua, with mechanical movements, elegantly shaped and designed, with details that you’d expect in another price range.

The Wright Watches Noctua is a classical watch, with elegant case and dial, refined proportions and a certain class. While many of the crowdfunding projects are based on the originality of the design or the display, to stand out of the crowd, this project plays on the traditional codes of luxury watches, however in a much lower price range. Indeed, from July 25 until September 3, these watches will be offered on Indiegogo platform for half of the retail price, meaning a tiny 199 Euros – at least for the 100 first participants. Yes, that’s the price of the average fashion-designer oriented quartz watch you’ll find in those ugly stores…

The Wright Watches Noctua is a 40mm watch, with a stainless steel case (316L steel), entirely polished. The case, with a barrel-like central container and curved lugs is rather elegant and remains easy on the wrist – and with a relatively thin profile, it will be possible to use it on a daily basis, even at work. The case is available in several finishings, to match all possible tastes: non-coated steel, black PVD or gold PVD. It has a water resistance of 100m and features an onion crown, also rather elegant and discreet.

The nicest part of the Wright Watches Noctua is obviously its dial. Available in white or black, it is said to be enamel – well, don’t expect Grand Feu / hand-made enamel here, of course considering the price, this is just impossible. The dial might (we haven’t seen it) be more simple porcelain – which is already quite a cool thing, knowing the nice glossy aspect of such a material. On top of it are applied 12 large Roman numerals, matching the case material (silver for the steel and black PVD editions, or gilded on the gold plated versions). The dial is nicely divided in two areas, with a central minute track, and hour and seconds tracks on the periphery. A set of 3 hands are running on top; two dauphine hands for the hours and minutes and a baton, blued, for the seconds. The date is classically displayed at 3.

To power the Wright Watches Noctua, the young brand went for something known, reliable and used in multiple projects of this kind; the Miyota 8215. This mechanical movement, with automatic winding, is used for years in all sorts of watches and provides a relatively precise timing as well as being robust. It ticks at 21,600vph and has 40 hours of power reserve. It can be seen as an affordable alternative to the Swiss ETA movements. The Wright Watches Noctua has the good taste not to show its movement – which, considering the price, doesn’t offer a very nice finishing. Instead, the caseback is nicely engraved. The watches are delivered on Italian leather straps, with fast changing spring bars and folding buckle (matching the case material).

The Wright Watches Noctua is a nice option for those who want to keep good relations with their bankers (or their wives…), offering an elegant design, with mechanical movement. They are fully explained here and can be ordered via the crowdfunding page here.