Redundant Watch is Both Gorgeous and Confusing

There have been dozens of ambitious startups on Kickstarter looking to fund new watch businesses, including Chale and Porthos, but one of newest is perhaps the most baffling. The Redundant Watch, created by Ji Lee, has rather peculiar hour markers on the dial.

The markers are best described as miniature versions of a clock, so if it’s 1pm, then the hour hand will be pointing to a small marker of an hour and minute hand displaying 1pm – like we said, a bit confusing. Despite that, if you can wrap your head around it, the watch display itself is truly unique and eye-catching.

Apparently, the design harkens all the way back to 1993, when Li was given an assignment at design school to create a clock that no one had ever seen before. A wall clock was made with the same design, which sold out incredibly quickly. Now, we have the Redundant Watch. Currently on Kickstarter, the watch has many cool features that horology lovers will enjoy, including:

• Unisex 40mm case
• Operated by a Miyota GL20 quartz Japanese movement
• A 316L stainless-steel enclosed 75mm casing, which comes in black or silver
• Interchangeable strap systems
• Water-resistant up to 50 meters (164 feet)
• Scratch-resistant mineral glass
• Genuine leather strap with a stainless steel buckle

Can it contend with the big Swiss players?

Everyone knows that many of the world’s biggest watch companies come from Switzerland, so does any smaller business on Kickstarter stand a chance? Absolutely. The success of newer, smaller companies like MVMT, Skagen, and Daniel Wellington proves that consumers love it when analog watches are different from everything that came before. The likes of Rolex, Omega, and Breitling will still have their place in the world, especially within the popular online market, but it’s nice to see something like the Redundant Watch really branch out and be unique.

In fact, sometimes starting up a business can really pay off in the long run. The aforementioned MVMT was purchased by the Movado Group Inc.for $100 million in 2018 and proves that well-designed and affordable watches are highly sought-after. MVMT was founded in 2013 by Jake Kassan and Kramer LaPlante after a successful crowdfunding campaign brought them $300,000.

Sold primarily through the company’s official website and a few select retailers, Movado’s purchase of MVMT is all about reaching a much younger market. “The acquisition of MVMT will provide us greater access to millennials,” said Efraim Grinberg, Movado’s chief executive. “This announcement comes on the heels of last year’s successful acquisition of our millennial-focused brand, Olivia Burton.”

The Redundant Watch has ways to go in order to reach those lofty heights, but with such a divergent look and a designer who clearly loves to push the boundaries of what a timepiece can be, it will be incredibly interesting to see how popular the watch becomes in a few years.