Philadelphia Artist's Watch Making A Splash On Kickstarter
By Ian Bush
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - It's a watch, but also a conversation starter. A successful crowdfunding campaign soon will put a Philadelphia designer's timepiece on plenty of wrists.
Look to the trees for what makes Lorenzo Buffa's watches different.
"The Carpenter Collection is the first collection of wooden wristwatches that feature an all-natural flexible and pliable wooden strap," Buffa explains.
The recent University of the Arts grad creates the all-wood, minimalist time-tellers from teak and bamboo, silverheart and maple, and makore and red sanders.
"[They're] something that people can be proud of, a piece that people can wear and engage with others over," Buffa says.
There's also a blackwood model with a leather strap.
Buffa and his Analog Watch Co. put the project on Kickstarter hoping for $10,000, and so far earning around $60,000.
"We're trying to capture the watch collectors, the fashionistas, and the eco-friendly, eco-conscious market."
Click here to see the Carpenter Collection. If you want one on your wrist by early next year, you have until Sunday to give at least $85.
What's next for Buffa's watch designs?
"We have some plans to get into stone, to get into concrete. We have some ideas for all-leather watches. There's room for collaboration from other Philadelphia makers," he says.
