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- New York-based watchmaker Martenero creates top-quality luxury watches with an understated elegance perfect for the refined yet casual customer.
- Their mechanical watches are available in more than 20 different variations, all of which feature a few consistent elements, such as handsome leather bands.
- The company recently launched a successful SeedInvest campaign, raising capital and gaining investors who will support the company through a process of expansion and outreach.
I've worn a good number of watches in my day.
In just the past year I've acquired six or seven new watches; in fact, and I was finally at a point where I was ready to stop collecting for a while, as I had a timepiece for just about every occasion I could envision. I had a watch that was perfect for coat-and-tie affairs, one that was ready to take abuse out on a mountain trek, several that could dress up a pair of jeans or dress down a business casual getup, and a few everyday casual watches that I wear on family walks, grocery store runs, or when grabbing a beer with a friend.
So when I first learned about the New York-based watch company Martenero, I was hardly on the hunt for another watch. In fact, I only heard about the company based on the successful launch of their SeedInvest campaign — whereas most crowdfunding platforms allow people to give money to a company and in return get discounted rates on a product in the event of a successful funding campaign, SeedInvest allows people to become investors in the company, owning actual equity shares. My casual interest suddenly turned to vested interest, so to speak, when I got a look at a few Martenero watches. Because... they are stunning.
But while stunning, Martenero watches are not dazzling. They're not showy or massive or packed with features, they're simply attractive and clearly well made. In fact, at a glance, a watch from Martenero might not even catch your eye. But if you get a good look at one, it will hold your eye. And once you have worn a Martenero watch a single time, it will likely become your go-to, daily-wear watch in little time.
The watches are currently available in six different collections and more than 40 different variations total.
The prices range from $495 to $595, a fine rate for hardware of this quality and styling.
And, indeed, you can feel the quality of a Martenero watch when you hold it in your hand or strap it onto your wrist. They are solid without being clunky. And that style that held your gaze continues even to the back of the watch, where a glass window exposes part of the mechanical movement of the watch. You'll search for reasons to take the watch off and show it to people, with one good approach being something along the lines of: "Hey, look at the back of this awesome watch!"
Already sold on the hardware myself, I looked into the company more deeply to learn what set them apart beyond their actual products.
Founder and CEO John Tarantino explained that Martenero, which began selling timepieces in 2014, uses a direct-to-consumer model that keeps the costs low and allows them to sell luxury watches at prices well under the rates traditional business models would demand.
To bolster that nontraditional approach, Martenero partnered with SeedInvest as mentioned. What I didn't mention yet is how significant that is. As Tarantino explained to Business Insider, "SeedInvest accepts less than 2% of the companies that apply, and, [Martenero was] the first watch brand they've ever partnered with." He added, "That's an endorsement we don't take lightly."
If you had never heard of these watches before now, you're hardly alone. The company has been growing slowly in the nearly half decade since it opened for business, dedicating more time and effort to creating quality chronometers than to marketing and PR.
With newly raised capital from its funding campaign, there will be more resources allocated to spreading brand awareness and acquiring new customers. But don't worry about quality or style: They took their time and locked those down first.
Check out all of Martenero's watches here, prices range from $495-$595.
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