You have to hand it to LIV watches. They have launched another Kickstarter project and just about closed on the early bird offers within days, as well as passing the project funding target within hours. As popular as Tesla ? Maybe. As inspired as Space X? Definitely hit the spot with this tribute to the mighty Saturn V rocket of old, when astronauts were made from the The Right Stuff and they wore Omega Speedmasters.

The Moonphase Saturn has a quartz movement inside, but it is an ETA one, so you are getting a bit of Swiss quality for your money. Dial colours include a wonderful deep blue and a flame orange. Cases can be brushed steel, rose gold, bronze coloured or black. They are very punchy bold designs, with plenty of lume on the dials, plus that moonphase feature. It’s a physically big watch at 44mm case diameter, with a large winding crown too. The crown has an orange lined effect on it, so it pays tribute to the exhaust shields on the original Saturn V rocket. There are a few early bird models available at just under $400.

I’ve stood next to that rocket at the Space Centre musuem and it’s an incredible feeling seeing the char-grilled metal, in all its blackened glory.

The Saturn V automatic is called Moondust and has a Sellita SW200 workhorse Swiss auto engine in there, plus a sprinkling of moon dust on the dial. Colours include fume grey, green, brown and blue, with a variety of case colours as well. It features a see-thru caseback to show off the movement and the auto rotor has limited edition engraved on it. Both models are limited to 1969 pieces by the way. Yeah the moon landing year, LIV have really thought about this watch. price on the early bird is $470, about $300 less than the full retail – decent saving.

It has a 100m depth rating by the way, so you should be OK swimming whilst wearing this one. The winding crown has a gasket and it’s a screwdown crown naturally.

Flat rate $15 international shipping and a five year – yes FIVE – guarantee show that LIV are serious about offering good watches at fair prices.

I’m going out on a limb here but if a lesser Swiss brand like Hamilton or TAG started making entry level watches like this people would be falling over themselves in the watch press to say how bold, how innovative their designs were. Fact is, they should be, but instead they target older, middle aged buyers and collectors. That’s great, but you need younger consumers buying into the watch habit too, otherwise they will never buy Swiss because they see it as something their dad – or grandfather – might wear.

Hats off to LIV. Geat work.