Much like a ripple effect, it was a Pebble that started it. Not one made of stone but one made of circuitry and plastic. Back in 2013, California-based smartwatch brand Pebble made history on Kickstarter, the crowdfunding site launched in 2009. It managed to raise a record-breaking $10.3m (approximately £8m) to launch its techy timepiece, an amount it surpassed when it crowdfunded its follow-up, this time raising $20.3m (£16m).

Pebble’s success was not only the start of the global smartwatch trend, it also opened up a non-traditional route to new watch brands without an immediate pot of start-up capital at their disposal. Now there are around 4,000 names looking to get your attention and your money. But how do you pick a project and is it even worth wading through the hoards on Kickstarter when shopping for your next watch?

Why Buy A Watch On Kickstarter?

For Mitch Greenblatt, CEO and founder of Watches.com as well as Xeric watches, a brand he launched on Kickstarter five years ago, the site is an excellent way for the newly interested to buy into something different that won’t have the financial commitment of a more well-known name. Let’s face it, the chances of finding the next Rolex are slim, so look for something you like at a budget you can afford.

“We find Kickstarter to be a major vein to newly indoctrinated watch enthusiasts,” he explains. “Many of our backers had never owned mechanical watches before their first Xeric, and even if they have, they weren’t able to afford anything they see on the influential watch blogs. We have discovered that Xeric is a sort of ‘gateway drug’ for people just becoming interested in mechanical watches and/or unusual watch designs that everyday people can afford (and aspire to collect).”

Not all Kickstarter watch brands are as creative in their aesthetic as Xeric; in fact, if you look you can find everything from vintage-inspired divers to a sporty chronograph. The one thing they all have in common is they probably won’t be names you’ll find in the window of your local retailer. But they’ll almost always be cheaper watches than you’re used to seeing.