When I posted my last WT Author review, the inventive British micro brand had a new series waiting in the wings for its Kickstarter debut. On April 26, pre-orders opened for that series, the WT Author Final Countdown No.s 1980-1988, and quickly exceeded its funding goal. I got to try a prototype of the No. 1989 Phantom [Eagle].
WT Author does not like derivative watches. All of their designs share a playful aesthetic that takes a particular design from an era of watchmaking and then spins it into a unique, and often eccentric, direction. For this series, they took the cockpit instrument style, infused it with some peak Cold War nostalgia, and topped it off with some distinctly WT Author design cues. The result is big, brash, and an awful lot of fun.
Is there really any nostalgia for the Cold War? Does anyone who lived through it actually look wistfully back on a time when two nuclear superpowers were locked in a game of chess that held the fate of millions in the balance? I certainly don’t. It sucked the first time and I’m not really enjoying the 2022 reboot starring Vladimir Putin. But these watches are not really serious reminders of the existential threat of nuclear war. They speak to works of Cold War fiction where the nuclear threat was a plot device. They are more about the mystique of a Bond villain, the “big map” war rooms of Dr. Strangelove and War Games, and the swaggering heroics of Top Gun and The Hunt for Red October.
There are ten models in the Final Countdown (true 80s kids will be unable to say that name without singing it), each one giving the nod to a piece of 80s vintage military equipment. Case colors and dial designs vary among the different models, but all share the same, somewhat fanciful, military theme. The No. 1988 pays tribute to the McDonnell-Douglas F-15 Strike Eagle fighter jet. You shouldn’t have a burly military watch without the specs to back up. To that end, the Final Countdown has a sapphire crystal and is rated for 100m water resistance.
Like the No. 1940 I reviewed last month, the Final Countdown has a multi-part, multi-finish case. It’s a hefty slab of metal, 44mm wide, 49mm long, and 13.4mm thick. Sandwiched between the 12-sided, polished bezel, and the matte bridge forming the lower case and lugs, is a gunmetal gray square with clipped corners and mighty crown guards that gives the watch its cut-from-a-cockpit look. A matte black bezel insert with raised and polished markers, a matte and polished exhibition case back, and WT Author’s signature red anodized crown add even more variety. This may sound like it is a bit over the top – and frankly, it is – but that is the point, and despite the seeming hodge-podge of finishes, it all works quite well.
On the flip side, we find the WT Author logo and a view of the Miyota 9015 automatic, a tried and true movement with a smooth 28.8k sweep.
The Final Countdown is a beast, particularly when strapped to a 6.75″ wrist like mine, but again, that is the point. This is a watch that grabs attention and invites questions. As a practical matter, I was unable to test the 120-click bezel because it was not in finished form on this prototype. Crown operation was difficult as those huge guards guarded it just a bit too well. It was easy enough to push and pull but I found it to be quite awkward to set.
The dial certainly has military elements, but they are not presented in the sober manner you would expect from an actual government-issued watch. Large, lumed numbers and white baton hands provide excellent visibility against the dark gray dial, while turquoise accents, a crosshair dial, and a yellow caution stripe pattern on the perimeter keep it firmly in the realm of an 80s movie prop. If Max Headroom wore a watch, it might have looked like this. Note that the grey dial is nearly black on this prototype and will be lighter in production.
Once I discovered the joys of fluoroelastomer (FKM) rubber, I never looked back, so I am pleased to report that WT Author will ship the Final Countdown on an FKM strap with integrated spring pins and a signed buckle. It is soft, comfortable, durable, and unlike other rubber or silicone straps, it does not collect lint.
Like all WT Author watches this one will come with what the brand calls “artifacts,” extra items to enhance the experience. The Final Countdown will include a signed and numbered sketch, a signed and numbered blueprint, assembly photographs, a WT Author book, and of course, WT Author’s brilliantly executed biodegradable, wax-sealed packaging.
Truly cutting-edge consumers will want to check out the WT Author x Ultra Studio Final Countdown Master Variants NFTs available at OpenSea for $2,693.31. I’ll be honest, I’m over 50 so I have no idea why NFTs are a thing and I have no desire to learn, but the animation does give you a nice look at how the components are screwed together.
Individual watch rewards start at £350 (about $433 US) with additional discounts for multiple watches. Backers can also add on other artifacts (Final Countdown dial design etching on stainless steel), accessories (FKM, nylon, or leather straps), or a Final Countdown first edition. You can also add on a selection of previously released WT Author watches at a healthy discount. The campaign ends May 27, 2022 at 10:00 am EDT, at which point the price increases to £500 ($675).
If WT Author’s wild 80s industrial vibe speaks to you, I’d recommend you head over to the Kickstarter page soon. Only 50 of each watch will be made and when the brand finishes a run, it’s done and the variant is never reissued.
