The young brand demonstrates its ambition and maturity with the release of its highly anticipated third series of wristwatches on Kickstarter.

Young upstart CJR was only established in October of 2014, but the small company has shown the drive and growth of a company that is larger and better established in the industry.

It’s already impressive enough, for example, that the company has two successful Kickstarter campaigns under its belt. The first was for a bold and oversized chronograph called the Velocita in the summer of 2015. It was quickly followed by the Airspeed less than a year later, which raised more than five times the initial project funding goal.

The Commander model that we see coming from CJR now continues with the aviation inspired design that was started with the earlier models. That is very clear, for example, in the dome shaped design of the watch, which evokes the cockpits of fighter airplanes.

In another nod to the aviation industry, the second wheel represents the spinning turbine on a jet engine, meant to symbolize the forward passage of time. This is a great example of the company’s attention to detail - it’s a small element, but it’s one of my favourites, and it also indicates just show serious the brand is.

The dial also has a disc-shaped 24-hour indicator at 9 o’clock. The feature will be appreciated by frequent travellers, but in terms of aesthetics the 24-hour markings also add to the unified colourway of the watch, matching the same hue in various accents found within the dial, bezel and strap.

This new model also demonstrates the maturity of the young company. For one, the Commander is a step up in terms of its design, sporting an intricate yet well thought out dial that is multi-layered and multi-textured. We get hexagonal grillwork on the top and bottom of the bold dial. There are also super-luminous hour markers and hands, to ensure readability in low-light conditions.

These design elements have clearly been influenced by company founder Calvin Ng, who has previously worked as an aerospace and mechanical engineer. Not only that, but Calvin has a family history rooted in traditional watchmaking, so the venture appears to have all the requisite ingredients to succeed.

The thrust of this watch comes by way of the always reliable Miyota 82S7 automatic movement, which can be appreciated through the open-dial. The engine is packaged in a three-piece case defined by a metal casing book-ended by two domed shaped mineral crystals, which is becoming something of a signature design element for the young brand.

Even with the casing we see the improvements the brand has made in a relatively short period of time. This timepiece, for example, can be easily serviced thanks to the screw-back design which can allow even a watch hobbyist easy access to the movement. This was not as straightforward of a feat with the previous Airspeed model.

Overall, then the new Commander series certainly looks to be leading the line for CJR in the near future. It is a sleek timepiece that has managed to find that fine blend of form and function, while at the same time remaining very accessible to consumers.

Delivery of the watch is expected in January of 2018, and the early birds out there can fly away with a new Commander series watch at a very reasonable price of $449 USD for a limited time through Kickstarter.