It turns out that I was living under a rock this whole time. I thought the Wandering Hour Clock was a new concept. Well, not only it is not a new concept but it has been implemented on timepieces for some time now.
Xeric is one such watchmaker that makes wandering hour timepieces and does so at affordable prices. The Vendetta II Automatic you see here is its third and latest wandering hour model.
In fact, the Vendetta II Automatic, as the product name implies, is a follow-up to the completely sold-out first edition which boasts substantial upgrades.
This wandering hour timepiece features screw-down crowns and double o-rings, affording it water resistance to 10 ATM – which is twice as much as the original.
The Vendetta II Automatic has a smaller, redesigned 44 mm (52 mm lug-to-lug) stainless steel case to fit a wider variety of sizes of wrist.
Notwithstanding its smaller size, the new timepiece promise improved legibility. To achieve a more legible dial, Xeric has removed the smoked crystal and crossbar and chamfered the inner sapphire glass edge to highlight the time-telling window.
Finally, instead of the usual hard-to-maintain leather, the new wandering hour automatic wristwatch is now paired with a silicone band.
Like its forebear, the Vendetta II Automatic has a unique minute track system allowing you to switch up the look of the watch with different minute tracks and colors – all by rotating the top crown.
Time-telling is easy once you know what to look for. The hour can be read in the clear opening at the bottom of the dial (the traditional 6 o’clock position). This hour glides along the track from right to left and where it (the hour) is pointing indicates the current minutes.
Usually, a horological timepiece of such nature would cost hundreds of thousands but this being Xeric, it is all about affordability, and with the Vendetta II Automatic, it made history, pushing it to sub-$1,000. Well, it is sub-$1,000 if you acquire the watch from its ongoing Kickstarter campaign.
Speaking of which, the Vendetta II Automatic early bird pricing starts at just US$729. The campaign is fully funded with nearly 900 backers behind it and rolled in almost 700K at the time of this post.
The campaign has just 6 days to go. This is Xeric’s 18th Kickstarter campaign, btw. So, yeah, these folks do know a thing or two about fulfilling pledges.
Images: Xeric.
