True Black, Classic Brown, Drab Green, and Natural White Watch Caps are shipping now at $95
These are Two-Layer, Seamless, Reversible Watch Caps.
The Watch Caps are double-layered and about 11.5 inches (28 cm) long uncuffed, allowing for generous ear coverage even when turned up. The new Natural White (Unbleached and Undyed) Caps were the first pieces we made with undyed and unbleached fibers, but now we are also making other products in Natural White.
The Watch Caps are 100% pure, fine, worsted, Merino ... and of course 100% American. The Watch Caps pair very well with the , which are also now in stock.
In 2019, we made several different Prototype Watch Caps, and did some heavy-duty testing -- with great results -- of the one we liked best, and that's the one we put into production. So, this version of the Watch Cap has been out there for a long time. We've had a lot of trouble getting the fiber/yarn we wanted, tho, so we have not offered the knitted products anywhere near as consistently as we would like.
The Watch Caps are made with yarn. This is the first time we've designated a batch of yarn. But basically, production of our knits is so different from production of our wovens that it's always been separate, and now we've specifically sourced fiber and yarn -- kind of a lot of it! -- exactly to our specs, so it makes sense to refer to give the yarn its own . One thing tho ... there is no good place to put tags on the Watch Caps, so, there aren't any.
Our Watch Caps are 100% worsted 19-micron long fiber American Merino -- no fillers or any other materials. And like all WeatherWool products, 100% American in manufacture.
The Watch Cap weighs 4.3 ounces / 134 grams.
The Watch Caps are quite "stretchy", but all the stretch and spring come from the knitting pattern. We do not use any elastic or anything other than wool to make the Caps. And no latex means that the stretch will not degrade over time. They are also long, allowing for more coverage over the ears, or to be worn slouchy. If the Cap is too large (or gets misshapen), hand-wash gently and rinse in warm water, lay flat to dry.
The Caps will fit almost anyone, although one person told us the Cap was too loose (too big). If that is the case, the Watch Caps can be put through a cold gentle wash cycle and dryer (gentle) and the knit will tighten up, making the Cap a little smaller.
Because of the nature of the reversible knit, we have decided, at least for now, that we will not sew any labels or tags into these Caps. There is no good place to put label or tags -- they would detract from the overall performance of the Cap, particularly in the rain, and most people don't find them attractive. I don't want to force anyone to wear our label. But some people have asked us for labels, so ... cool! ... Just LMK! For legal reasons, we may eventually attach labels lightly, for easy removal.
Our Watch Caps are knitted by of Brooklyn, New York. Their Whole Garment® Shima Seiki knitting machines create a seamless 3D knit that finishes off the crown cleanly. When everything is tuned right, these leading-edge knitting machines can virtually eliminate waste through their pull-based system, creating less than 1% excess material during the production of each Watch Cap. We have not reached this point yet, but we are working towards it!
Testing has shown that when rain wets the outer layer of the Cap, the inner layer remains dry. Also, should the inner layer become damp with sweat, such as during a hard run (Jesse covers some serious distance) the Cap can then be reversed, placing the dry outer layer against the head while the wet layer can dry in the air. And no seams makes for a more comfortable fit under a helmet.
Our great customer and friend TJ, a Veteran of the USMC, texted us about a surprising use for his Watch Cap. "As we were camping over the weekend and hiking come across a problem, unique to me and wearing kilts a lot , I forgot my phone case , forgot my sporran (which is traditionally worn with a kilt that's that bag in front !!!! ) ok so yes I have my pack but it's not very convenient to keep smaller things in, sooo I was standing there thinking about what I could use ! I looked down and there was my WeatherWool watch mans cap !!!! Bada boom 💥 use it as a bag !!! And it work great held my phone , lighter , chapstick ID ,worked great , stayed in place tucked under my belt , so you can also use the as a belt bag as well good as you forage for things , the cap works as a bowl too to forage ! Improvise Adapt Overcome"
The Watch Cap photos show Natural White and Drab Green (in separate photos) and Classic Brown and Khaki Tan (together in one photo). Not sure if/when we'll offer the Khaki color again. The model is wearing True Black.
Updated 1 December 2024 --- Ralph
