In an era where conformity and generic designs dominate, something has been lost. Charisma and sophistication have become rare, leaving a longing for those iconic styles of the past.

Suit up and step into the cockpit of a timeless world of vintage cool.

316L marine grade stainless steel casing, anti-reflective scratch-resistant sapphire crystal that can only be scratched with a diamond, Swiss super-luminova for ultimate low-light visibility, quick release bio-leather strap, and water resistant to 100m.

Each Hilts chronograph is made to order in the USA, ensuring quality and supporting local jobs. The buttons offer a notable tactile click, while the central second hand sweeps smoothly. The date window is displayed at 6.

The Hilts chronograph boasts design features not seen on other watches. Matte sunburst dial framed with a raised fine-brushed tachymeter scale. Polished case finish. Neatly integrated buttons located within a diamond pattern engraving on each of the flanks.

Our initial concept was simple. We just wanted to make the kind of watches that we’d like to wear. And we knew there were other people out there like us.

Stephen, our co-founder and designer started out with six really solid designs. Each of which had a common identity, so that one day, people will be able to look at them and say, ‘That’s a HILTS watch’.

Stephen started meticulously drafting out dial layouts, refining the typography and curating the finest aesthetics. All to get these designs just right.

Once Stephen was satisfied with his initial drafts it was time to integrate them into CAD. He used it to create incredibly precise technical drawings of the watch dial and case. This ensured that all of his draft elements could be communicated perfectly through documentation for the engineering and manufacturing process.

We chose the finest components we could, so that the watches not only look beautiful, but are incredibly durable too. 316L Marine grade steel, sapphire glass and bio-leather straps to name but a few.

We settled on the diamond pattern flank engraving that we’d never seen on any other watch, and a sunburst pattern to really bring the dials to life. The thought process and attention to detail that we put into getting the aesthetic balance and overall design of these watches is hard to overstate.

Stephen was absolutely meticulous in his color selection. We wanted the dials to really stand out, which meant using a unique color palette, unlike anything we'd seen on other watch designs.

There was an enormous amount of back and forth to achieve the perfect balance of colors for the dial, hands and indices. We think that we've ended up with some really striking combinations.

We use a ‘Screw Down’ case back, for our chronographs, recognizable by the notches along the outer edge.

This type of caseback is commonly found in diver's watches and other timepieces intended for significant water resistance. The threaded design of the caseback ensures that it is firmly locked into place, providing additional protection against water and extreme environments.

The surface is engraved with the HILTS logo, specifications and a unique serial number.

High Visibility - Swiss super-luminova for day or night use. Matte sunburst dial framed with a raised fine-brushed tachymeter scale.

Invincible - Scratch-resistant sapphire, 316L marine-grade steel, 100m water resistance and diashock spring loaded shock protection.

Precision Timing - Sweeping second hand beating 4x/second along with two sub-dials displaying elapsed time down to ¼ second.

The color’s motorsports origins are from the early part of the 20th century, when the speed limit in the UK was just 12mph! Consequently, the Brits held their road races in Ireland, and in tribute adopted the color of the Emerald Isle for their cars in international competition.

Legend has it that the inaugural Monaco GP of 1929 was the first appearance of the color we now know as British Racing Green. We can thank William Grover-Williams for that. He resprayed a traditionally light blue Bugatti green, and the rest as they say is history.

A tribute to Richard James David "Dickie" Attwood. Starting out as an apprentice at Jaguar, he first raced in 1960. Working his way up the classes to Formula One and Sports Cars he was the winner of the 1970 24 Hours of Le Mans. Attwood was driving a Porsche 917, the first of Porsche's record 19 victories at the famous race.

Attwood would later go on to be recruited by Steve McQueen to appear in the movie Le Mans. McQueen’s car in the film, also a Porsche 917, was painted in the Gulf blue, orange and white livery.

Our reverse-panda gets its name in homage to The Indianapolis Motor Speedway or ‘The Brickyard’. The home of the Indy 500, the Brickyard 400, the Verizon 200 and formerly the home of the United States Grand Prix.

It's the third-oldest permanent automobile race track in the world, behind Brooklands and the Milwaukee Mile. With a permanent seating capacity of 257,325, it's the highest-capacity sports venue anywhere.

A stunning hardwood box with a deep embossed logo on the lid. The inside of the watch box is coated with soft materials and a cushion insert to hold and protect the watch. Presented in a stylish charcoal and turquoise master carton.

Three years ago, Paul Nichols combined his e-commerce background with his love of watches and HILTS was born. Collaborating with designer Stephen Scott and advisor Jivan Manhas really brought HILTS to life. As time passed the clearer the concept became. Our goal is to craft visually bold and striking timepieces, so that you feel pride when wearing them.

The inspiration for our branding came from the film "The Great Escape," where McQueen's character, Captain Hilts, was known as 'The Cooler King.' This connection with Steve McQueen's passion for motorsport and chronograph watches provided the perfect backstory for the brand.

We are incredibly excited to deliver these watches to our growing community, and we look forward to your valuable feedback. HILTS vision for the future includes a collection of instantly recognisable HILTS watches, with plans for community involvement in our design process.

We look forward to the day where we see one of you wearing your HILTS watch!

We are three veterans in building companies from scratch. You're in very safe hands. We're excited to build the HILTS brand, and we're delighted to have you on the journey with us. Reach out if you'd like to chat.

We started out with a small idea. We wanted to make watches that we’d love to wear. We knew there were other people out there like us too, so we were inspired to launch our first crowdfunder. Here's some info about us:

Paul Nichols

Hi, I'm Paul. I’ve spent the last 20 years in tech, marketing and copywriting. I’ve enjoyed all of those roles, but as a marketer, I believe the goal has to be to create a brand. And the brand has to be congruent with you and your values. You have to put your name to something that makes you feel proud.

I’ve always had an interest in watches, which started with my dad. Now I could’ve made life easier for myself, but whilst this project has taken longer to realise than we first thought, we didn’t want to launch until we were absolutely delighted with the quality of the product. I wish you could see the samples now. They’re really eye-catching and we are receiving compliments every time we wear them.

So it was my initial idea, but HILTS wouldn’t have got anywhere without my co-founders, Stephen Scott and Jivan Manhas.

My role has been around business planning and organisation of suppliers. Stephen has aced the design, we trust you agree. Jivan comes with a ton of experience in building businesses, and always helps us make the right decisions. The working dynamic between us is really solid. We’re great friends. We really enjoy working on HILTS and are excited for you to receive your watches.

We’ve been working on this for about three years now. Stephen came up with some strong initial designs, but the chronograph really leapt out at us. That design has been endlessly refined to the samples you see today, which is why it’s so on point. Given that we’re launching with a chronograph it made complete sense to associate that with the golden age of motorsport and some of the icons who wore those watches.

I think we’d all like to be a bit like those guys.

So now you know a little more about me, our story, and what we want to put out into the world. Back us and help us grow our brand. In return you’ll be one of the first people to get an original design with super solid build quality.

Stephen Scott

I’m Stephen, co-founder and the designer at HILTS Watches.

Currently residing in Barcelona with my wife, my daily work rituals involve immersing myself in great music and enjoying a quality cup of coffee, all the while with our dog Ringo keeping me company throughout the day.

Born in Manchester, UK, my professional journey has taken me through cities including Manchester, London, Dublin, and Barcelona. My sources of inspiration come from everywhere, drawing from Film, Music, Contemporary Art and Vintage Advertisements to Comic Books and Science & Technology Journals.

I am responsible for overseeing all aspects of the design process. Whether it be our branding or the watch creation process, my goal is to ensure that everything we do embodies both sophistication and functionality.

My role encompasses the holistic process of creating our exceptional timepieces — from the conceptualisation of designs and careful selection of materials to the development of a compelling watch identity and visually striking packaging. My commitment is to ensure that each watch not only tells time but also narrates its own backstory with craftsmanship and style.

With a seasoned background in design, I like to think I bring a wealth of expertise to HILTS Watches, infusing each timepiece with a distinctive mix of sophistication and innovation. Meticulous attention to detail and a commitment to pushing creative boundaries define my approach, becoming integral to the essence of HILTS and I hope synonymous with our identity in the future.

Beyond this my next goal is simply to follow developments. Jivan and Paul possess a remarkable and comprehensive understanding of business, navigating the complexities required in starting this venture from scratch. Their thorough approach to every aspect of HILTS has been really interesting and I've found it fascinating to observe the precision in their systems and methods.

Over almost three years, our focus has been on refining every facet of our brand and orchestrating the launch of our inaugural watch. This journey was marked by its challenges, as we deliberately steered clear of shortcuts and resisted the temptation to cut corners. Our meticulous approach to every aspect of the watch occasionally led to delays reaching this point, but we deemed it unacceptable to compromise on our standards. Now, having overcome those challenges, we extend an invitation for you to become a vital part of the HILTS community.

Your support in backing this project will be instrumental in propelling HILTS toward the success we know it can achieve. Thanks.

Jivan Manhas

I am a co-founder of HILTS, a watch company known for its unique 1960s era racing-themed watches. With a lifelong passion for building successful companies from scratch, I have a track record as an entrepreneur. I led Advaliant, which was later rebranded to MediaTrust, from its inception in 2004 to a $60 million per year enterprise by 2010. My journey with MediaTrust ended successfully after a merger with Bardon Advisors.

Born in Britain and raised in Canada, my global perspective has been shaped by residing in diverse cities such as Manhattan, London, and various parts of the US, before settling back in my home city of Toronto. My extensive experience includes expertise in customer acquisition marketing, brand building, financial management, and startup growth strategies, bringing a pivotal asset in navigating the competitive market of luxury watches.

My affinity for watches dates back to my childhood when I received my first Casio electronic watch. Over time, my interest evolved towards luxury brands, particularly those with a personal connection or a story I could relate to. This personal passion aligns with my role at HILTS, where the watches are not just timepieces but narratives of an era defined by acting legends and racing aficionados like Paul Newman and Steve McQueen, whom I admire both for their cinematic prowess and their racing ventures.

At HILTS, my responsibilities include setting the company's vision alongside co-founders Stephen and Paul, customer acquisition, and managing business development and partnerships. All of our roles are instrumental in not just the operational growth of HILTS but also in nurturing its essence – creating watches that are more than luxury items; they are stories worn on the wrist. For myself, building HILTS is not just about establishing a successful brand in the luxury watch market; it's a journey fuelled by passion, a tribute to an era, and a venture that brings joy and excitement.

Jivan answers your questions

Q & A with Jivan. He covers:

How did HILTS get started?

What is the inspiration behind the brand?

What was the design process?

What is the future for HILTS?

We hope you like it! It will really help your understanding of our brand and where we want to take it.

We're ready for production. We have samples in hand. Our suppliers are ready to start production. The only thing missing is the initial order fee, and that's where you come in.

Grab yourself one of these watches now at a great discount.

Thank you so much for your continued support and for joining us on this adventure!

Special thanks to all of our friends and anyone who’s supported us!

Risks and challenges

We’ve worked incredibly hard to make this product ready for Indiegogo and full-scale manufacturing. We’re confident in our ability to produce a product of real quality in high volume, and fulfil all of our perks on time. However, things don’t always go as planned. Here are a few of risks that may come up, and our plan to address them:

MANUFACTURING: We have a trusted manufacturer lined up and will have quality assurance people on site during production. Despite this, manufacturing delays can still happen. Whether it’s an unexpected backlog, bad timing with holidays, or a quality assurance issue on the ground floor, we’ll let you know immediately. Our #1 priority is product quality followed by timely delivery.

FULFILLMENT: Sometimes, stuff happens that can’t be planned for: a supplier misses a deadline, a package gets held up at customs, a shipment gets lost, or a global pandemic shuts down shipping ports around the world. Those things can cause delays. We are using an experienced logistics team to get our products to you. We’ll keep open and honest communication with you through our process so you know where your product is, and when it’s going to get to you.