Win it: The Helgray Silverstone Chronograph

Born on Kickstarter, Helgray Watches are by the same guys, or, at least one of the same guys, who did the Rossling & Co. watch Kickstarter. To say that project was successful would be an understatement. That original Rossling & Co. project asked for $19,200. They got $170,000. So when they went to create the motorsport inspired Helgray Silverstone, it was not their first rodeo. And again, they were massively successful. Their goal was to raise $20,000. They got $228,000.
The Silverstone, in four different face colors to choose from plus a stainless steel bracelet and leather strap in each order, was the result.

Available with a white, black, green, or the blue dial shown here.

It’s an extremely nice watch for the early bird, Kickstarter pricing of $229 – $279. But those prices are long gone. Now, Helgray is asking $379 for this watch. And while it’ll surely appeal to many looking to satiate a fix for a fast-looking watch, the budget watching crowd might wince at the almost $400 price tag. Especially with much more affordable alternatives on the market.
Powered by Seiko’s Meca-Quartz movement, it marries the dependability and cost-effectiveness of a quartz movement, with some bits and pieces of the chronograph function coming from mechanical movements. Quartz chronographs are often lifeless at the pushers. Hitting a quartz pusher vs. hitting a mechanical/automatic pusher is akin to the difference between hitting a mushy laptop key and punching the crisp strike of a typewriter. Thanks to those mechanical components, this watch has that precise, snappy feel at the pushers, all while keeping the cost down with a quartz movement at the core.

At its heart, a quartz movement. But has the feel of a mechanical at the pushers.

The seconds hand also clicks by at a pace of 5 times a second, instead of the once per second sojourn you get with a Quartz chrono. The aesthetics of the watch are based in the romance of driving fast in cool cars, so it was really smart of the designers to include that authentic feel.
But, it’s still a quartz. And asking $379 for a quartz, even if it does have a few bits in there from a mechanical, just won’t fly in many a guy’s mind. Even if it does come with both a leather strap and a stainless bracelet, has a sapphire crystal, and gets delivered in a nifty zip-around case.
The layout of the dial is well thought out and symmetrical. There’s no seconds hand (other than the chronograph seconds hand), and the two sub dials show the 60 min chronograph function, as well as a 24-hour dial. Placement of the date window at 6 o’clock is perfect.
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