Hot off the success of the Caspian, Ventus Watches is back with the Black Kite, which launched on Kickstarter earlier this week. The new watch is essentially a Caspian that has gone to the dark side in a rather beguiling fashion. I’ve got one right here, and if you enter my giveaway, it might be yours. But first, let’s check this bad boy out.
Like the Caspian, it is a tool watch with a flieger sandwich dial. The case design is the same as are its dimensions (42mm wide, 50mm long, 22mm lug width). It wears the same domed sapphire crystal with an anti-refective coating. It even shares the same Seiko NH35 automatic movement. So what’s the big deal? Look closely at that case. See those layers? Almost a wood effect where the curvature of the bezel reveals a spiral grain? That is Darkwood Carbon Fiber.
I’ve got kind of a love/hate relationship with carbon cases. On the one hand, I appreciate its strength and light weight, but some examples come off as vaguely cheap, almost plastic. The Black Kite’s Darkwood is nothing like that. This case is tough as nails, crisply rendered, and full of character. I love the grain and the contrast between the matte surface and the glossy crystal. It has a delightfully sinister, industrial quality that drew me right in.
Inside all this slick carbon is a stainless steel module housing the movement. Water resistance is the same 100m as the Caspian, but this time, it is secured with a screw down crown. It really does not affect the watch’s utility, but it does make the crown far easier to operate, addressing one of my gripes with the previous watch.
Lumination is also greatly improved. The vintage orange lume offered for the Caspian looked great in the daytime, but at night it mimicked old age just a bit too faithfully, stubbornly refusing to produce more than a faint reddish glimmer. The sample Black Kite has a similar vintage lume color, but this time, it is SuperLuminova C1 so the Black Kite lights up just as it should. Of course, if you want maximum nighttime visibility, you can opt for blue-white BWG9 instead.
The Black Kite debuted at $499 AUD ($349 USD). Those pledges are already long gone, but current backers can still grab one for $569 AUD ($398 USD). Check out the Kickstarter page for more information, including some behind the scenes pictures of carbon fiber cases in the making.
While you are at it, why not try to win one for free? Enter below. The winner will receive this awesome Nav-B Black Kite on a brushed leather Zulu in an oil tanned leather carrying case. See terms and conditions for details.
