Managed by Jennifer Zhang (the founder) and finance expert Rebecca Lee, Rotate Watches is an innovative brand exclusively dedicated to horology enthusiasts, hobbyists and wannabe watchmakers. It offers all-in-one kits to build your own mechanical watch.
Based in Los Angeles, California, this women-owned startup brand was launched in 2019 with a Kickstarter crowd-funding campaign, raising more than $91k, 600% of the goal.
The mechanical watch kit offered by Rotate Watches includes the parts required for a wristwatch, tools, and a user-friendly guide so that the customer can assemble a wristwatch without the help of any professional.
Inside the kit, you will find a 44mm diameter case, which comprises of three removable sections: a bezel ring with front sapphire crystal glass, a case-middle and a case-back with sapphire crystal. This makes the main body of the watch.
Next is the mechanical engine, which is a partly assembled hand-wound mechanical movement based on the Swiss-made ETA 6497-1 caliber.
Its screws, center gear and stem are kept separate so that the customers can fit these components themselves to complete the movement. This 17-jewels manual-wound movement provides a power reserve up to 44 hours.
The next part available in the kit is a beautifully finished dial featuring Roman hour-markers and a small-seconds dial at 9 o’ clock. All the three hands are kept in separate box. The baton-shaped hour and minute hands are treated with luminous coating. The kit also includes an onion-shaped crown and some small components of the watch.