Written by Menswear Style in Brands on the 28th March 2019

A new timepiece brand has launched a campaign on Kickstarter which caught our eye this week. We spoke to Pompeak co-founder Noah to find out more about their product, vision and campaign. The inspiration behind the project goes back to late 2017, when Noah was on the market for a new watch and discovered that there were basically only two options. Option 1 was to pay an extortionate amount of money for a quality watch that you would inevitably be too scared to wear daily, and option 2 was to choose a low quality, cleverly marketed watch that would look worn and cheap within a few months of purchase.

“Having decided that I was uncomfortable committing to either option, I decided to try and create a quality watch that didn’t cost the earth. Partnering with my brother, who has six years engineering and design experience, and with my background in finance, we set out to create a true, premium quality, stylish watch that could be worn all day, every day.”

After more than a year of designs, prototypes and tweaks, it’s fair to say they’ve succeeded. Their flagship product is elegant, functional and stylish with built in water-resistance, scratch-resistance and shock-resistance. Far from just a pretty face. Pompeak’s mission is to combine quality and affordability, all cased within a watch that you would be proud to wear all day, every day. Us guys all need a watch that is durable enough to survive a few knocks but smart enough to turn a few heads. After researching various watch designs, the founders discovered that less equals more and they were quickly drawn to the elegance of minimalism, drawing on this heavily during the product design stage. With an aim to produce a life-proof watch, they needed an experienced manufacturer that could meet their high standards. Having contacted and rejected a number of manufacturers, they found there was only one who could meet their specs. Using their 20+ years’ experience, they further tweaked the design and tested multiple prototypes until they were satisfied.

Not Just a Watch 

This collection has been a ‘work in progress’ for the past 18 months. You can choose to mix and match any watch face, case and strap. Here are some stand out design features: 

Sapphire crystal glass: One of the worries of owning a watch is keeping it free from damage. Pompeak uses one of the toughest glasses available, more than capable of withstanding drops, knocks, scrapes and even the jaws of an over friendly pooch (true story). 

Japanese chronograph movement: Noah down selected his chosen quartz movement with longevity and accuracy in mind; Coupled with a functional chronograph, for every-day usability. 

5 ATM water resistant: Being able to survive being submerged to depths of 50 metres, this watch will handle any situation you find yourself in. When they said everyday, everywhere, they meant it. 

316L Stainless Steel: Surgical grade, corrosion resistant stainless steel is used to ensure your timepiece stays 'day 1' fresh. 

Interchangeable Leather Straps: We know styles change, but your watch shouldn't have to. All Pompeak leather straps have a hidden quick release design for an instant switch up. 

Flawless Style: This hasn't happened over night. Through various prototypes and iterations Noah is proud of what the company has presented. "It wasn't always easy, but boy was it worth it!"

Why Kickstarter? 

Pompeak was created out of a frustration with the high mark-up, low quality watch industry. One great method to keep prices low is to sell direct to consumer. After researching this it quickly became apparent that Kickstarter stood out as the god-father of crowdfunding. By using this crowdfunding platform, they’ve managed to cut out a wide range of middle men: distributers, wholesalers and retail stores meaning you get exactly what you pay for. With a goal of £10,000 to launch the brand we expect the Kickstarter community and menswear community will see, like and back this project.

Featuring Sapphire crystal glass, we take a look at Pompeak Watches who are currently campaigning for crowdfunding on Kickstarter.