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Thread: SCHAFFEN Kickstarter

  1. #101
    Grand Master snowman's Avatar
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    2 weeks?!?!?!

    M

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  2. #102
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    SCHAFFEN Kickstarter

    Mine has arrived and the first impressions are very good. It's a solid and quite hefty piece, in a good way, very well balanced and extremely comfortable. I was worried that it might turn out too large for my seriously skinny wrist, but while being a good sized piece, it still shows a decent amount of bracelet on either side of the wrist, as it should, and wears pleasantly flat and relatively thin. Not as thin perhaps as the Ingenieur 3239, but the proportions are good.

    The dial is hard to capture in photos but works well in practice - it reminds me a little of chocolate sprinkles, a popular Dutch breakfast food, though the effect is more sophisticated than that sounds! I was starting to wonder if I should have gone for the white but needn't have worried, the grey is versatile and gives a good contrast to the hands and indices, which catch the light very well. I haven't had time to test how long the lume lasts and I can't comment on how powerful it is compared to any other watch, but it is very well designed to show one of the clearest displays of the time I've seen in the dark, with the generously sized dial, large 12 and the lume on the hands and indices making it particularly easy to read. When I have time I'll try to get a lume shot.

    The bracelet is well constructed and very easy on the wrist, with heavy solid links and a smoothly operating double butterfly clasp, which adds to the feeling of comfort and balance. It was also very easy to adjust - of course you'll need the correct screwdriver and it's well worth buying one of those little plastic grippy things to hold everything steady. They are sensible sized screws though, that a person of average ability can manage.

    The 3D printed rotor works well, though I haven't had time to take a picture of it yet. This is clearly an evolving technology and something that has only just become possible. I'd imagine that in future the resolution will improve until it becomes possible to do something with very fine decoration, but it does work on this watch and is an interesting feature. The custom printing on the dial saying 'NUMBER NINE' refers to the number in the limited edition first 100 run, with 009 also engraved / 3D printed on the rotor. They were a bit worried that I wanted it so small, and they were imagining a signature there, but the plan was to have a scale similar to the small writing on an Ingenieur or Rolex, and for me it works well. If Rolex can write 'Superlative Chronometer' I figured I could write Number Nine to balance the dial.

    The design of the case and bracelet together are a successful tribute to Genta style watches, where many others have failed (Piaget arguably!). While the bezel owes a little to the GP Laureato and / or the Royal Oak, it's not an influence that really stands out. There's more Ingenieur in the mix overall, though it has enough unique elements to have its own identity. I actually prefer the subtly curving crown guards to IWC's large flat ones on the last proper Ingenieur before whatever they've gone and done to the range now.

    The S200 movement looks to be running at a very respectable +6 or +7, and feels smooth to wind and adjust, with a nice positive click to the date wheel.

    Any negatives? For this price, none really. It's hard to say what makes watches look expensive, it's an accumulation of fine details that ends up as an aura. Probably preconceptions about a brand backed up by glossy marketing play their part. I won't say that the Schaffen looks just the same as watches costing 10-20 times more, which would be unrealistic, but an S200 based automatic watch with a display back and custom elements that's this well constructed does seem quite an achievement for the price. I'll try to find time to add some more photos to fill in the gaps of this mini-review tomorrow.

    Last edited by Itsguy; 8th November 2018 at 22:39.

  3. #103
    Thanks for the review.

  4. #104
    Craftsman kinyik's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Itsguy View Post
    Mine has arrived and the first impressions are very good. It's a solid and quite hefty piece, in a good way, very well balanced and extremely comfortable. I was worried that it might turn out too large for my seriously skinny wrist, but while being a good sized piece, it still shows a decent amount of bracelet on either side of the wrist, as it should, and wears pleasantly flat and relatively thin. Not as thin perhaps as the Ingenieur 3239, but the proportions are good.

    The dial is hard to capture in photos but works well in practice - it reminds me a little of chocolate sprinkles, a popular Dutch breakfast food, though the effect is more sophisticated than that sounds! I was starting to wonder if I should have gone for the white but needn't have worried, the grey is versatile and gives a good contrast to the hands and indices, which catch the light very well. I haven't had time to test how long the lume lasts and I can't comment on how powerful it is compared to any other watch, but it is very well designed to show one of the clearest displays of the time I've seen in the dark, with the generously sized dial, large 12 and the lume on the hands and indices making it particularly easy to read. When I have time I'll try to get a lume shot.

    The bracelet is well constructed and very easy on the wrist, with heavy solid links and no rattles, and a smoothly operating double butterfly clasp, which adds to the feeling of comfort and balance. It was also very easy to adjust - of course you'll need the correct screwdriver and it's well worth buying one of those little plastic grippy things to hold everything steady. They are sensible sized screws though, that a person of average ability can manage.

    The 3D printed rotor works well, though I haven't had time to take a picture of it yet. This is clearly an evolving technology and something that has only just become possible. I'd imagine that in future the resolution will improve until it becomes possible to do something with very fine decoration, but it does work on this watch and is an interesting feature. The custom printing on the dial saying 'NUMBER NINE' refers to the number in the limited edition first 100 run, with 009 also engraved / 3D printed on the rotor. They were a bit worried that I wanted it so small, and they were imagining a signature there, but the plan was to have a scale similar to the small writing on an Ingenieur or Rolex, and for me it works well. If Rolex can write 'Superlative Chronometer' I figured I could write Number Nine to balance the dial.

    The design of the case and bracelet together are a successful tribute to Genta style watches, where many others have failed (Piaget arguably!). While the bezel owes a little to the GP Laureato and / or the Royal Oak, it's not an influence that really stands out. There's more Ingenieur in the mix overall, though it has enough unique elements to have its own identity. I actually prefer the subtly curving crown guards to IWC's large flat ones on the last proper Ingenieur before whatever they've gone and done to the range now.

    The S200 movement looks to be running at a very respectable +6 or +7, and feels smooth to wind and adjust, with a nice positive click to the date wheel.

    Any negatives? For this price, none really. It's hard to say what makes watches look expensive, it's an accumulation of fine details that ends up as an aura. Probably preconceptions about a brand backed up by glossy marketing play their part. I won't say that the Schaffen looks just the same as watches costing 10-20 times more, which would be unrealistic, but an S200 based automatic watch with a display back and custom elements that's this well constructed does seem quite an achievement for the price. I'll try to find time to add some more photos to fill in the gaps of this mini-review tomorrow.

    That looks amazing under twilight !


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  5. #105
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    nice. thanks for the review!

    would love to see photos of the WHITE dial now!!!

  6. #106
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    SCHAFFEN Kickstarter

    A quick and blurry lume shot on the phone, but hopefully you get the idea, very clear to read. Will see how long it lasts...

    Edit - slightly better lume shot:

    Last edited by Itsguy; 9th November 2018 at 13:24.

  7. #107
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    ...And finally as promised a couple of photos of the back with the 3D printed custom rotor. Essentially this was an experiment to see if you could create a different kind of decoration using 3D printing, with a quite industrial feel. I asked them to print this dot pattern vector art in the smallest scale possible - I think they were also quite interested to see the results and the limits of the technology. This was the smallest scale they felt was likely to work, with some of the holes like pin pricks. To the naked eye the printing looks nice and clean and gleams nicely, you need a loupe to see evidence of the 3D printing technique being pushed to the limit.




  8. #108
    Master sish101's Avatar
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    Very interesting post, that's a classic looking watch. I love that rotor work.

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  9. #109
    Grand Master snowman's Avatar
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    Nice to see what people are doing with the Rotors, too.

    I was kind of hoping, originally, that the could skeletonise the Matterhorn image, but I think that was too fragile a design to work, so I'm happy enough with the medallion like representation that we argreed on.

    I think I'd pretty much agree with all your remarks on the quality, etc.

    The lume? I suspect you got disappointed with its longevity pretty quickly, it's the only aspect I found disappointing and it reminds me of my Longines HC in this respect.

    It seems odd that makers use short lived lume - It really can't add more than a few pennies to the cost of the watch to have decent lume, but Schaffen are far from unique in this respect.

    M
    Last edited by snowman; 10th November 2018 at 15:35.

  10. #110
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    Quote Originally Posted by snowman View Post
    The lume? I suspect you got disappointed with its longevity pretty quickly, it's the only aspect I found disappointing and it reminds me of my Longines HC in this respect.
    Yes forgot to say - it was still just about visible when my brain decided it would be a good idea to wake up at 5am, but not really enough to be readable. I might make a bit more effort to charge it up and see how it compares to an Explorer II, if I'm feeling particularly nerdy.

    I don't think I've ever actually used the lume on any watch in a real life situation to be honest. Having to find your glasses in the dark in order to read it at night makes it more trouble that it's worth. Still, given the choice I agree you'd pay for the best lume possible.

    PS - just tried giving it ten minutes of the torch on my phone and leaving it in a dark room. An hour later I could barely find it never mind read it! Ah well... Pity as the dial is so well designed around the lume, but it's essentially cosmetic!
    Last edited by Itsguy; 9th November 2018 at 16:52.

  11. #111
    Grand Master snowman's Avatar
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    Yeah, it's no biggie, but it does seem odd to have poor lume.

    I have a few watches that glow like torches!

    M

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  12. #112
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    Thanks for the review, and what a brilliant "experiment" the rotor turned out to be.

    Is the font of Number Nine the same font (not size) as the one used for the Schaffen name? When I played around with it a couple of weeks ago I didn't think so, but perhaps it is?

  13. #113
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    Quote Originally Posted by OldHooky View Post
    Thanks for the review, and what a brilliant "experiment" the rotor turned out to be.

    Is the font of Number Nine the same font (not size) as the one used for the Schaffen name? When I played around with it a couple of weeks ago I didn't think so, but perhaps it is?
    Yes, they suggested their font and I thought it best to let them do what they thought would work. On the wrist at the scale of the actual watch it looks right, a little bit of detail.

  14. #114
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    Quote Originally Posted by Itsguy View Post
    Yes, they suggested their font and I thought it best to let them do what they thought would work. On the wrist at the scale of the actual watch it looks right, a little bit of detail.
    That's something I asked them about before going for a text-light option. Happy they can offer the same font to keep things less chaotic.

    Brilliant look, your grey dial, and an awesome rotor. Congrats!

    The one thing, apart maybe from better lume, which I would think could add to the overall value impression would be an applied logo.

  15. #115
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    Quote Originally Posted by carryondentist View Post
    Yes. I got mine last week. No tracking number or notification of shipping, but as described by others, package was sent from within the EU, so no import or VAT to pay. I wouldn’t worry excessively, it will arrive eventually.

    I was really impressed with the overall quality of the watch - the dial is particularly good and the upgrades to the bracelet are very welcome.

    Will try to post some pictures at some point.
    I wish mine had shipped within the EU. Just had an extortionate customs charge drop through the door after another couple of weeks trying the chase Schaffen for the status of my watch. Never again.

  16. #116
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    Quote Originally Posted by rincewind View Post
    I wish mine had shipped within the EU. Just had an extortionate customs charge drop through the door after another couple of weeks trying the chase Schaffen for the status of my watch. Never again.
    To be fair, they never promised to ship from the EU? Mine shipped from Singapore as expected. As much as I hate the VAT on top (although I hate the transport companies' handling fees even more), it would seem a bit drastic to blame Schaffen for UK laws.

  17. #117
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    SCHAFFEN Kickstarter

    I’m not blaming them for UK customs charges. It’s their appalling comms that’s done my head in.

  18. #118
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    I'm also getting proper cheesed off with their radio silence.

    Email exchanges were prompt enough during the "design" phase but then went downhill.

    A couple of weeks ago I had a promise that my watch would be shipped that week but it has not arrived and my emails are being ignored.

    If I don't have something more encouraging or positive by the weekend then I'm going to have to start a claim with Paypal.

    Not what I wanted at all

  19. #119
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    Quote Originally Posted by donny View Post
    I'm also getting proper cheesed off with their radio silence.

    Email exchanges were prompt enough during the "design" phase but then went downhill.

    A couple of weeks ago I had a promise that my watch would be shipped that week but it has not arrived and my emails are being ignored.

    If I don't have something more encouraging or positive by the weekend then I'm going to have to start a claim with Paypal.

    Not what I wanted at all
    I’d just try to be patient if I were you, though I know it’s not easy when you’re waiting for a watch. In my case there was quite a long pause between getting the shipping email and the watch arriving, a good couple of weeks I think.

  20. #120
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    Thanks for the words of encouragement

    However I haven't received a shipping email! Last communication was along the lines that it should ship in the next week. That was several weeks ago and nothing but radio silence since - and obviously no watch has arrived

    How hard is it to drop a one line email just giving an update??? Mr Han could manage to type when we were sorting the design - part of me is worried something may have happened to him

  21. #121
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    Quote Originally Posted by rincewind View Post
    I’m not blaming them for UK customs charges. It’s their appalling comms that’s done my head in.
    Fair enough.

    Quote Originally Posted by donny View Post
    However I haven't received a shipping email! Last communication was along the lines that it should ship in the next week. That was several weeks ago and nothing but radio silence since - and obviously no watch has arrived
    That sounds a tad familiar. I was asked to confirm my shipping address. Then: Nothing. For weeks. I sent increasinly panicked mails asking them for a tracking number, imagining the parcel lying at the post office or customs and returning unclaimed. In the end. I think they just shipped quite a bit later than expected.

  22. #122
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    who's got his??

    hey guys, has anyone received his watch yet??

    please share some pictures when you do!

  23. #123
    Grand Master snowman's Avatar
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    Got mine on today, but I've already posted pictures!

    M

  24. #124
    Quote Originally Posted by MarkyMark View Post
    hey guys, has anyone received his watch yet??

    please share some pictures when you do!
    Still waiting for customs to release mine, it's been nearly a month now. grr

  25. #125
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    SCHAFFEN Kickstarter

    Mines arrived. Will post pictures on SC when I list it

  26. #126
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    No watch yet but some progress......

    Eventually I managed to raise a response so now have a tracking number

    It shows my watch has been sat in UK Customs at Langley for the past week - no option but to just keep waiting

  27. #127
    It's finally here, first impression is great, the blue looks stunning. It came with the optional strap on (the cheapest one) which looks and feels like what you pay for it.. cheap. Will try the bracelet tonight.

    Really great, I also bite the bullet on the kickstarter Maen campaign and the first impression on the Maen was not that good (although it has grown on me on the past weeks) with the Schaffen the feeling is different, for the better.


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