The most crowdfunded watch company ever is making $1,000+ luxury watches affordable for everyone

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Luxury watches are categorized by superior quality, beautiful designs, and of course, high price tags.

Specific name brands have built up enough clout to charge super high prices, but paying thousands of dollars for a single watch simply isn't doable for most people. With that said, that still doesn't mean luxury watches are unobtainable.

Filippo Loreti, a 2015 Kickstarter, set out to bring guys high-quality, luxury timepieces at affordable prices by eliminating middlemen and retailers that mark up prices exponentially.

Founded by Danielius and Matas Jakutis, the brothers set their initial crowdfunding goal at $20,000. After just 30 days, the company raised $926,620, making it the most crowdfunded watch company ever. In late 2016, when the brand launched its second collection of watches, they shattered the old record by raising $5.17 million in 30 days with more than 18,000 backers.

Inspired by three iconic Italian cities — Venice, Rome, and Milan — Filippo Loreti's watches include premium craftsmanship in an array of elegant designs to appeal to all kinds of watch lovers. The prices range from $219 for a minimalistic watch to $459 for an automatic watch — all priced well under what luxury watches typically go for.

If you want high-quality and stylish luxury designs, without paying traditional luxury prices, Filippo Loreti is the way to go. They're so nice, you will absolutely want to start a collection of them.

To help with that, Filippo Loreti will include a collector's box when you buy two or more watches. The luxurious box is made of wood with a high gloss polished lacquer finish, a rich black leather interior, and has room for eight watches. Valued at $200, the box can be yours for free.

Shop all luxury watches at Filippo Loreti now.

Filippo Loreti sent over a few watches for the Insider Picks team to try out. Check out our thoughts and impressions, below:

Amir Ismael, Insider Picks reporter: Filippo Loreti Rome Gold

When it comes to watch designs, I'm not bound to just one distinct style, but the Filippo Loreti Rome Gold is my new go-to choice for a minimal aesthetic. The watch features a premium brown leather band, a gold case, and a white dial with gold hands and hour markers — and that's it. There are no sub-dials getting in the way of simply telling the time.

While the watch is simple, there are many details that will let you know this is a true luxury watch.

The back of the case has a laser-etched image of the Piazza del Campidoglio on it and the dial features a bold geometric pattern inspired by Michaelangelo's rosette designs. 

Buy the Filippo Loreti Rome Gold now, $249

Brandt Ranj, associate Insider Picks editor: Filippo Loreti Rome Blue Gold

Finally, a watch that matches my aesthetic. While most watchmakers are striving to make traditional-looking watches meant for a business or business-casual environment, Filippo Loreti is taking things a step further. Sure, you can still get a "normal" watch with a black band, but the one I’ve been trying has a navy strap and face that works well with my navy-heavy wardrobe.

The watch itself is minimalist, which I like, and the gold-colored buckle and back accent the navy face nicely. As an added touch, there’s an etched image of the Piazza del Campidoglio on the back of the watch you’ll only see before you put it on and when you take it off. I appreciate things like that because it proves Filippo Loreti put a lot of time into the watch’s design.

If you’re looking for a watch that fits your personality without going overboard, I strongly suggest you give this brand a try.

Buy the Filippo Loreti Rome Blue Gold now, $249

Spencer Lambert, Insider Picks intern: Filippo Loreti Venice Silver Blue

I tried out the Venice Silver Blue and was immediately a fan. Besides hours, minutes, and seconds, the watch also features month, day of the week, date, and a day/night function. When I first read the description, it seemed like too much to present attractively on a watch face, but after wearing it I know that’s not the case.

I don’t think I’ve ever worn a watch that’s presented so much information so clearly and stylishly on its face.

Besides the watch face, the quality of the Italian leather strap is very noticeable on the wrist. With such a quality design, the selling point of a Filippo Loreti Venice watch is its $239 price. For other watches similarly priced, you might get a watch to look like a $1,000 model, but rarely will it feel like a $1,000 one, too. For this reason, it’s easy to see why the brand is shaking up the luxury watch business.

Buy the Filippo Loreti Venice Silver Blue now, $269

Amir Ismael, Insider Picks reporter: Filippo Loreti Venice Black Gold Automatic

To put it plainly, the Filippo Loreti Venice Black Gold Automatic is a really nice watch. Its premium leather strap, case, and dial are all done in black, while the hands and hour markers are subtly contrasted in an elegant gold. With such a simple and sleek color combination, I can wear this watch with just about anything — it's classy enough to wear with a suit and sporty enough to wear with a T-shirt and jeans.

What I liked most about this watch is its practicality. In addition to displaying the time, there are easy-to-read sub-dials for month, day, date, and a.m. or p.m.

I also appreciate the watch's automatic movement. While automatic watches don't require batteries, they do require being worn in order to keep telling time. This watch is so attractive and versatile, I know that wearing it just for the sake of keeping it going won't be an issue. The second hand glides along smoothly (it doesn't tick-tock), and a gauge at noon displays the 40-hour power reserve.

The back of the case is clear, so you can see the intricacies of the automatic watch at work.

Buy the Filippo Loreti Venice Black Gold Automatic now, $519

Breton Fischetti, senior director of Insider Picks: Filippo Loreti Venice Gold Automatic

I got to try the Venice Silver Gold Automatic watch from Filippo Loreti. This watch has a lot going on, it's automatic (self winding), has a day of the week, month, date, and day/night function.

It has a lot of features you would find on a more expensive watch, but at a very fair price.

I don't see many good automatic watches for less than $300, and that's without all the extra bells and whistles. I actually found myself most interested in the power reserve dial at the top of the watch face. My chief issue with automatic watches is that if you don't wear them all the time, they will stop. Resetting it isn't an issue, but it's hard to know when the watch will stop. Filippo Loreti includes a nice gauge to show when it's running low on power.

Overall, it's a very well-designed watch. I'd have liked thicker hands so that it would be a little easier to get the time, but they've packed a lot of features into something that looks quite a lot more expensive than it is.

Buy the Filippo Loreti Venice Gold Automatic now, $519

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Disclosure: Written and researched by the Insider Reviews team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our partners. We may receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at reviews@businessinsider.com.

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