July 2019, while the iron is hot...
https://www.kickstarter.com/project...a-trappist-1-automatic-watch?ref=project_link

 

Knowing chinese manufacturing like I do, It will be less than $10 for each unit. they are making a FORTUNE.

 

Says it all

 

Miyota movement, tritium tubes, horween strap, no way these are less than $10 to make in the automatic version.

,

 

IN CHINA, miyota movement is a few dollars, tritium tubes are pennies each, leather strap is pennies. Definitely doable.

An educated guess is this custom quartz is 2$ and auto is $5 manufactured cost TOPS, in qty* (* this is the key of course)

For reference, a low end unbranded quartz watch costs about $0.10.

If you don't do business in China, you would be SHOCKED at how cheap parts really are. When I started out, being from the USA, I had to very seriously adjust my mindset...1st world problem I guess. Many items sold in the US from china are marked up 100 fold, and we still think its cheap.

Great example everyone should remember...remember the Ron Popeil Chicken Rotisserie Oven? They sold for $139.95. Production cost was $12. That was 20yrs ago. Chinese industry has growth an order of magnitude more efficient in that time. Even with inflation, that same item would be much cheaper to produce today, I would guess about $4.

 

But its not a China movement, its Japanese, tritium tubes as far as I know are exclusively made in Switzerland, and Horween leather is only made in Chicago. This is not typical cheap Chinese stuff. I wonder if a kickstarter company can legally even import tritium tubes. There are several hoops to jump through to be able to import tritium and I have never heard of a tritium tubed watch from China.

 

You think Miyota movements are Japanese? You probably think Swiss movements are Swiss.

 

https://perrinwatchparts.com/collections/miyota-watch-movements

Your not getting a Auto anything for $5 no matter how many you order

$30 maybe

 

I do and the maker does too, although I will admit it would not take much to convince me it is a fraud.

 

Interesting way to reimagine a 3 hander using hand length. Lots of have tried and failed, this is not half bad. Not my cup of joe, but interestingly pulled off.

 

A giant amongst men. Where would @STANDY be without his Pocket Fisherman?

 

Not many pocket sized fish my way

 

Price aside, it's one of the least interesting watches Xeric has made.

 

You don't get my point. Your ref is for North America retail. At the source, these are $1or less.

BTW, today most Japanese companies (and many Chinese companies) think China is too expensive now and are subbing out to Vietnam and others. MOST Japanese companies sub out to china and others for just enough content that still allows them to say made in Japan.

To expand on a post I said above, most mass market Swiss movements are Chinese, with just enough Swiss content and labor to allow "Swiss made" labeling.