Something about this is setting off my Spidey-Sense.
There's no way this guy is going to be able to offer the watch, with these specs, for this price and make ANY money.
Even with this likely being 100% catalog parts, just the fact they're offering an ETA movement with titanium case for less than $500 is insane.
I could be completely off base, but enjoy this unicorn while you can!
Fanos Watches out of Montreal has launched their first Kickstarter for their debut model, the Osimiri, a 500m titanium dive watch with an ETA 2824.
Early Bird pricing is around $485
Kickstarter pricing is around $497
Regular price will be about $560 ?!?!?!
Estimated delivery is August 2021
There are two colorways available - black or blue.
And you have a choice between a titanium bracelet or rubber strap.
Went down as rabbit hole after this was posted, so here are a couple more reviews of the prototype. ( I think the Relative Time review John posted is still probably the best, though the reviewer sounds to me like Loyd Grossman on Xanax [emoji23]).
Reading the comments on these videos and on Kickstarter, Fanos have said they will:
- put more lume on the hands in the production models;
- tighten the bezel to reduce back-play; and
- use a milled SS clasp instead of stamped.
Personally, I'd prefer the crown to be a bit shorter as well, but that's not a deal-breaker.
Obviously, a lot of people are seeing the Pelagos vibe, with some calling it a blatant copy.
I slightly disagree with that. The case is very similar and it's obviously inspired by and borrows from the "look" of the Pelagos, but the hands and indices are sufficiently different in my view.
What it does do is capture the starkness of the Pelagos nicely, but I don't think that's unique to Tudor (as I mentioned above, it also reminds me of the Tourby Lawless, which similarly goes for high-contrast legbility).
Others complain that it is "boring". To me that misses the point: it's intentionally so and that is part of the attraction. It's supposed to be a no-nonsense tool watch, nothing fancy. Personally, I admire the restraint.
More than that, the timing of this is quite fortuitous for me as well. I've been eyeing up the Pelagos for some time now, and even tried one on again the other week, but I can't quite get over the line with it.
It's a big watch, with slabs for sides, and I have concerns about whether it would get enough wear to justify the price. By closely following the Tudor case, it seems this watch suffers from the same issues. However, at sub-500 USD - roughly 10% of the Tudor - this seems like a nice compromise that isn't a copy and is worth a punt.
As you can probably tell, I'm rather taken with this and hope (a) it gets funded and (b) Fanos deliver what they promise.
Thank you John and baldrick for covering the Osimiri
We will hopefully be getting our prototype in John’s hands to review by the end of next week.
As you guessed, our margins aren’t the largest given the specs and price point that we’re aiming for. The goal of our Kickstarter is mainly to establish our brand (and trust) for future releases. We figured the best way to do this would be by offering great value out of the gate.
An update with additional shots (aiming for movement shots) will also be posted on the campaign next week. We worked hard on the Osimiri and appreciate both your support - and thank you for being on board with us baldrick! We’re just over halfway there and believe we can make it, with a bit over 3 weeks to go.
FANOS Watches wrote: ↑Sun May 02, 2021 12:55 am
Thank you John and baldrick for covering the Osimiri
We will hopefully be getting our prototype in John’s hands to review by the end of next week.
As you guessed, our margins aren’t the largest given the specs and price point that we’re aiming for. The goal of our Kickstarter is mainly to establish our brand (and trust) for future releases. We figured the best way to do this would be by offering great value out of the gate.
An update with additional shots (aiming for movement shots) will also be posted on the campaign next week. We worked hard on the Osimiri and appreciate both your support - and thank you for being on board with us baldrick! We’re just over halfway there and believe we can make it, with a bit over 3 weeks to go.
Feel free to shoot us any questions!
Best,
Caesar
Hello Caesar, and thank you for joining!
We're looking forward to getting Osimiri in to have a look at. Please take a look around and feel free to participate in other areas of the site. I think you'll enjoy the open and welcoming community we have here.
FANOS Watches wrote: ↑Sun May 02, 2021 12:55 am
Thank you John and baldrick for covering the Osimiri
We will hopefully be getting our prototype in John’s hands to review by the end of next week.
As you guessed, our margins aren’t the largest given the specs and price point that we’re aiming for. The goal of our Kickstarter is mainly to establish our brand (and trust) for future releases. We figured the best way to do this would be by offering great value out of the gate.
An update with additional shots (aiming for movement shots) will also be posted on the campaign next week. We worked hard on the Osimiri and appreciate both your support - and thank you for being on board with us baldrick! We’re just over halfway there and believe we can make it, with a bit over 3 weeks to go.
Feel free to shoot us any questions!
Best,
Caesar
Caesar,
Thanks for joining the site and sending Matt a Osimiri to review!
I truly wish you and Fanos success with this campaign and that you built in enough margin to grow and develop the brand.
You are delivering a lot of value with this model and looking forward to seeing what else you have planned for the future.
[mention]FANOS Watches[/mention]: have you considered asking the previous reviewers to let their followers know the kickstarter is now available? Two video reviews of the prototype are from last year and the third from January. The watch may have fallen off people's radar and it would be a shame not to get funded simply because not enough people know about it....
I fully agree! We reached out to each user who had commented and will be reaching out to the reviewers as well. Currently also have a marketing team helping us tremendously with spreading the word. These past few days we've seen an increase in momentum and we are confident it will continue if we stick to our plan
Thank you for the support baldrick
baldrick wrote: ↑Thu May 06, 2021 10:14 am
Hmm. Funding seems to have stalled somewhat.
@FANOS Watches: have you considered asking the previous reviewers to let their followers know the kickstarter is now available? Two video reviews of the prototype are from last year and the third from January. The watch may have fallen off people's radar and it would be a shame not to get funded simply because not enough people know about it....
