Watchmaker seeks funding for wine-dyed timepieces

Philadelphia-based Analog Watch Company has launched a Kickstarter campaign for its new range, The Somm Collection, a series of four timepieces with different coloured wine-dyed cork straps.

Claiming to be the world’s only watch made with wine, Analog Watch Company has partnered with the Cork Forest Alliance for its fifth watch collection.

The company has previously used flowers, moss marble and wood in its designs and has now developed a technique for dying and stabilising cork watch straps with wine.

Using red wine from Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, as well as blueberry wine, the company is releasing two red and blue bands as well as natural, black and white cork straps.

In turn, the watch faces themselves are also inspired by wine and come in four different ‘varietals’: Chardonnay (gold); Cassis (black); Rosé (rose gold) and Sake (silver).

Analog makes use of the chromogen pigments in wine, developing a process that turns the wine to a “highly rich liquid concentrate” that it then uses to dye the bands. While the red colour was relatively easy to achieve, the blueberry wine took more work to achieve a true blue colour rather than bright purple, the company said in a press release.

The different brushed metal watch bodies house a Premium Citizen Miyota 2035 movement and a double-layered sunray brushed metal dial.

The straps are 8mm thick and are made from animal-free leather and natural cork, with a reinforced core interior. A quick release spring bar allows the user to swap straps quickly and easily.

Launched on 2 October via Kickstarter, the watches are available at an early bird price of $75 for the first 100 supporters and for $80 for the remainder of the campaign.

The company, which was launched in 2013 by designers Andi Maddalo and Lorenzo, Buffa is hoping to raise a total of US$7,695 to fund the project. For every backer of the project, the company has vowed to plant a cork oak tree.