Chimera65 Round 2
It's back, and this time in stock.
Chimera65 R2 Extras are live!
Chimera 65 Round 2
Kitting Information
PC, Standard, E-White, and Legendary Editions will be kitted with an FR4 plate and Hotswap PCB by default.
Special Editions (Rose and Prism) will be kitted with an Aluminum Plate and Hotswap PCB by default.
About the Manufacturer
We are very excited to have partnered with the manufacturer Hongtu to produce our Chimera65 R2 units! We have worked with them on DD-40, Cypher, and Moment as well, and cannot wait to work with them on more future projects.
Even More Addons and Edition Specifics!
When it came time to decide how we wanted to approach bringing the back Chimera65, we thought it was vital to offer a truly custom experience. This mindset has led us to offer extras of core components, as well as items to further tune your board.
[NEW] Legendary Edition What's Included
Delta, Berserker
Note: If buying Delta to use with your GMK Delta keyset, please note that the teal/turquoise ano is less saturated than the keycaps and will not be a perfect match to the GMK set
- Alu case top and bottom
- Brass weight (Berserker), Steel weight (Delta)
- Alu back accent
- Alu badge
- Alu keycap (Berserker gets crimson, Delta gets turquoise)
- Alu crest
- FR4 Plate
- Hotswap
- DB + JST
- Hardware
- Gaskets
- Custom feet
- Custom carrying case
- Microfiber cloth
- Authenticity card
If buying Delta to use with your GMK Delta keyset, please note that the teal ano is less saturated than the keycaps and will not be a perfect match to the GMK set
Chimera65 E-White Edition What's Included
E-White
- Aluminum case top and bottom
- Brass weight
- Brass back accent
- Brass badge
- Brass keycap
- Alu crest
- FR4 Plate
- Hotswap PCB
- DB + JST
- Hardware
- Gaskets
- Custom feet
- Custom carrying case
- Microfiber cloth
- Authenticity card
Chimera65 Special Edition What's Included
Rosé and Prism
- Aluminum case top and bottom
- PVD brass weight
- PVD brass back accent
- PVD brass badge
- PVD brass keycap
- Alu crest
- Alu Plate
- Hotswap PCB
- DB + JST
- Hardware
- Gaskets
- Custom feet
- Custom carrying case
- Microfiber cloth
- Authenticity card
Chimera65 PC Edition What's Included
Cabbage, Rogue, Cleric
- PC case top and bottom
- Alu weight
- Alu back accent
- Alu badge
- Alu keycap
- Alu crest
- FR4 Plate
- Hotswap PCB
- DB + JST
- Hardware
- Gaskets
- Custom feet
- Custom carrying case
- Microfiber cloth
- Authenticity card
Standard Edition What's Included
Ranger, Galandry, Sorcerer
- Alu case top and bottom
- Brass weight
- Alu back accent
- Alu badge
- Alu keycap
- Alu crest
- FR4 Plate
- Hotswap
- DB + JST
- Hardware
- Gaskets
- Custom feet
- Custom carrying case
- Microfiber cloth
- Authenticity card
Chimera65
Round 2
DESIGNED BY UPAS
chi·me·ra (kīˈmirə,kəˈmirə)
A mythological fire-breathing monster, composed of a lion’s head, a goat’s body, and a serpent’s tail.
Chimera65
Round 2
DESIGNED BY UPAS
chi·me·ra (kīˈmirə,kəˈmirə)
A fire-breathing monster in Greek mythology having a lion's head, a goat's body, and a serpent's tail
Introducing
Chimera65 Round 2
Chimera65 earned a following by delivering great feel, rich acoustics, and captivating visuals. For round two, the original design is honored, with a touch of polish.
Originally created in 2018, Chimera65 drew inspiration from many keyboards. Chimera65 transforms and blends these elements, creating a visual masterpiece.
Bold lines. Highly tuned sound. A one-of-one design.
Top right badge (TGR 910)
Side curve (OTD Koala)
Dual bottom pieces (TGR Jane)
Ledge (TX keyboards)
Offset arrows (CA66)
Back accent piece (RAMA M60-A)
Mounting style (Keycult No 1/65)
We've tested a dozen (and counting) prototypes for round two. It was important for us to honor the original, but we wanted to create stunning new material and color combinations.
Some familiar. Much new. Fully reborn.
Now introducing, our round two editions.
Hello, Chimmys
Chimera65
Special
Edition
CNC'ed & Anodized Aluminum Case
• Prism • Purple, multicolor PVD accents (pictured)
• Rosé • E-White, polished rose-PVD accents
Chimera65
PC
Edition
CNC'ed & Dyed Polycarbonate Case
• Cabbage • Light green, forest green aluminum accents (pictured, with gold badge option)
• Rogue • Smoky charcoal, black aluminum accents
• Cleric • Frosted clear, gold aluminum accents
Chimera65
E-White
Edition
CNC'ed & Anodized Aluminum Case
• Paladin • E-White, brass accents
Chimera65
Standard
Edition
CNC'ed & Anodized Aluminum Case
• Ranger • Forest green, gold accents (pictured)
• Galandry • Navy, silver accents
• Sorcerer • Black, light purple accents
From the
Designer,
What's New
"To support the swappable back pieces and keep prices low, in the first round, I opted to leave this corner straight. For R2, I’ve added a contour to the bottom piece to fill in the corner gap.
The crest from R1 is unchanged and will be engraved on the bottom of the keyboard on the crest piece. The miniscule gap between the bottom case and weight is also present - this helps with acoustics and will not be changed for R2.
We’ll be offering the Chimera65 in Polycarbonate this time around as well. Personally, I wanted a Chimera65 for travel and the aluminum/brass combo was a touch heavy. The PC version offers a bespoke custom keyboard feel and sound, while also being easy to take on a commute or while traveling. The PC Editions will feature threaded inserts as well as more case screws.
Back pieces and badges from R1 will work with R2 Chimeras. Crests from R1 are not guaranteed to work with R2 - this is due to a potential change in the angles at which they are machined to help with manufacturing.
Given this is a gasket isolation sandwich mount, it won’t be as flexy as some of the newer keyboards out there, but it’s a nice sounding and feeling board, in my opinion. The IC form does have a question about flex slots on PCB/plate. If there is strong demand early on in the IC, we have a flex slotted PCB and flex slotted plate already designed and ready to prototype and test."
- UPAS
Pictured: (1) Top: Round one Chimera65 with square corner, Bottom: Round two Chimera65 with rounded corner; (2) Rogue Edition with silver crest option; (3) Ranger and Cabbage Editions
Through extensive prototyping rounds and testing, we honed in on creating an improved and more customizable experience.
Chimera65 doesn't use flex cuts, nor does it require layers of foam. However, we're offering foam options to provide a more tunable and muted sound profile.
For those who obsessively tinker or don't want to solder, A newly designed hotswap PCB will also be offered this round.
Features &
Specifications
MOUNTING STRUCTURE
• Poron gasket isolation sandwich mount
• Featuring an improved user experience through low adhesion poron
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
• QMK and VIA compatible
• Solder and hotswap PCB options available
• C4 Unified Daughterboard (featuring new Molex Pico EZMate connector)
• STM32 ARM Microcontroller
• Support for south facing backlight LEDs on solder PCB, option to make Caps Lock LED an indicator
• Support for south facing indicator LED on Caps Lock for hotswap PCB
LAYOUT SUPPORT (SOLDER PCB)
LAYOUT SUPPORT (HOTSWAP PCB)
DIMENSIONS
• 7.5 degree typing angle
• 10.86 mm front height (ledge height)
• 17.86 mm front height (not counting ledge height)
• Built weight: PC - 1.0kg, Standard, 2.0kg, Special Edition - 2.2kg
WHAT'S IN THE BOX
• Seven unique CNCed case parts (top, bottom, weight, back accent, bottom accent, badge, plate)
• Universal plate, including ISO compatibility
• New Chimera aluminum keycap included
• CannonKeys carrying case and microfiber cleaning cloth
• PCB of your choice, Solder and Hotswap available
• C4 Unified Daughterboard and Molex cable
• Hardware, feet, and gaskets
• Authenticity card
• *Foam add-on available (plate, case, and PE foam)
Features &
Specifications
MOUNTING STRUCTURE
• Poron gasket isolation sandwich mount
• Featuring an improved user experience through low adhesion poron
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
• QMK and VIA compatible
• Solder and hotswap PCB options available
• C4 Unified Daughterboard (featuring new Molex Pico EZMate connector)
• STM32 ARM Microcontroller
• Support for south facing backlight LEDs on solder PCB, option to make Caps Lock LED an indicator
• Support for south facing indicator LED on Caps Lock for hotswap PCB
LAYOUT SUPPORT (SOLDER & HOTSWAP)
DIMENSIONS
• 7.5 degree typing angle
• 10.86 mm front height (ledge height)
• 17.86 mm front height (not counting ledge height)
• Built weight: PC - 1.0kg, Standard, 2.0kg, Special Edition - 2.2kg
WHAT'S IN THE BOX
• Seven unique CNCed case parts (top, bottom, weight, back accent, bottom accent, badge, plate)
• Universal plate, including ISO compatibility
• New Chimera aluminum keycap included
• CannonKeys carrying case and microfiber cleaning cloth
• PCB of your choice, Solder and Hotswap available
• C4 Unified Daughterboard and Molex cable
• Hardware, feet, and gaskets
• Authenticity card
• *Foam add-on available (plate, case, and PE foam)
• Seven unique CNCed case parts (top, bottom, weight, back accent, bottom accent, badge, plate)
• Universal FR4 Plate, including ISO compatibility
• New Chimera aluminum keycap included
• *Foam add-on available (plate, case, and PE foam)
Round 2
Variants
We put together nine unique colorways for this round. We'll also offer extra accent pieces, weights, and keycaps. Those interested in non-default colorways can purchase extra pieces to make it truly one-of-a-kind. We shipped off a bunch of Chimmys to content creators, and we're excited for them to share! While most of the units shipped are default colorways, some units you see will be non-stock combinations. These extra parts will be available for purchase.
PC units have a higher MOQ, but we'll be offering three unique versions.
Check
'em
Out
Pictured: Design for Chimera keycap
(aluminum, enamel infill)
Pricing Details
& Timeline
We’re still working out final pricing for all options, but we think we have pricing on most editions figured out. Going into the pricing process - we had hoped that prices would be less than in the first round despite adding a new keycap into the kit. We commissioned prototypes with multiple manufacturers hoping to drive down price. Unfortunately, some of the cheaper manufacturers just could not meet our quality bar – but we're pleased that we're coming in below R1 costs.
PROVISIONAL PRICING
• Standard Edition • $450
• PC Edition • $470
• E-White Edition • $470
• Special Edition • $630
For reference - In R1, the Standard Edition was $475, the E-white Edition was $495, and the Special Edition was $725. While pricing is still subject to change, we’re pretty confident these will hold. We’re working out pricing for all the addons as well - and will release those prior to the group buy starting.
Addon pricing is still to be determined - but we'll be selling extra badges, back pieces, crests, weights, crests, and metal keycaps. This will allow you to customize the accent pieces to achieve your ideal combination.
We'll also be selling plates in different materials, extra PCBs, and all the usual addons you might expect like gaskets, feet, and foam.
Hotswap PCBs will be available as an upgrade for $10, as well as a standalone product you can purchase. Aluminum plates will also be available as an upgrade for $20, as well as standalone.
GROUP BUY PERIOD
April 14, 2023 to April 30, 2023
More details on specific methods of sale and unit caps will be released soon!
Round 2
Editions
Given the large number of potential options for Chimera65, we’ve chosen to release the Chimera in select colorways. We’ll also be selling extra accent pieces, weights, and keycaps. So if you’d like a non-default colorway, you can buy those extra pieces to swap things around. We tried to get default colorways into the hands of content creators - but we also have some photos of combinations that are possible with extra pieces.
MOQs are a bit higher for dyed PC, and we're thrilled to offer three unique versions.
So far we’re planning on offering a few editions:
Want the full Chimera65 experience? Check out our desktop site for the Chimera65 configurator!
Pictured: Design for Chimera Keycap
(aluminum, enamel infill)
Pricing Details
& Timeline
We’re still working out final pricing for all options, but we think we have pricing on most editions figured out. Going into the pricing process - we had hoped that prices would be less than in the first round despite adding a new keycap into the kit. We commissioned prototypes with multiple manufacturers hoping to drive down price. Unfortunately, some of the cheaper manufacturers just could not meet our quality bar – but we're pleased that we're coming in below R1 costs.
PROVISIONAL PRICING
Standard Edition - $450
PC Edition - $470
E-White Edition - $470
Special Edition - $630
For reference - In R1, the Standard Edition was $475, the E-white Edition was $495, and the Special Edition was $725. While pricing is still subject to change, we’re pretty confident these will hold. We’re working out pricing for all the addons as well - and will release those prior to the group buy starting.
Addon pricing is still to be determined - but we'll be selling extra badges, back pieces, crests, weights, crests, and metal keycaps. This will allow you to customize the accent pieces to achieve your ideal combination.
We'll also be selling plates in different materials, extra PCBs, and all the usual addons you might expect like gaskets, feet, and foam.
Hotswap PCBs will be available as an upgrade for $10, as well as a standalone product you can purchase. Aluminum plates will also be available as an upgrade for $20, as well as standalone.
GROUP BUY PERIOD
April 14, 2023 to April 30, 2023
More details on specific methods of sale and unit caps will be released soon!
Artisan Keycap
by Archetype
We wanted to do a few extra special things for this Chimera R2 -- We’re excited to announce that we’ve been able to collaborate with Archetype to bring an artisan Chimera keycap to life!
We’re still figuring out what the final colorways will look like, as well as pricing, but we are able to show the sculpt. There are a couple changes that Archetype still wants to make to the sculpt, but these are close to final. We hope that you are as impressed as we are at this artisan cap! We’re extremely grateful that Archetype agreed to make this sculpt. And we’re hoping to do an open sale so that anyone who wants one can get one - even if you’re not interested in the board.
Pricing: TBD
Deskmats
Lastly, we wanted to offer Chimera themed deskmats to pair with the keyboard.
Chimera Ruins Mat (photos 1 & 2) - A nod to the namesake, this design depicts a couple Chimeras fighting in ancient ruins.
Chimera Greek Mat (photo 3) - The Chimera from Greek mythology, was a fire-breathing that devastated Caria and Lycia until she was slain by Bellerophon.
Chimera Stealth Mat (photo 4) - A minimalist canvas to highlight your build. This design features a dark grey Chimera crest in the top left corner, on a simple black deskmat. Much thanks again to Hisui for designing the Chimera crest.
Group Buy Price: $17.99
FAQ
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Photo and Render Disclaimer
Colors in the final product may vary since renders are done under idealistic artificial lighting.
We use photos of our products in hand when possible to show how they look in realistic situations. Sometimes the product might look different within the same listing- this is generally caused by different lighting conditions. When possible, we try to use different lighting conditions to show what the product might look like in different scenarios.
QC and Material Disclaimer
A Stock units should not have any external scratches or egregious marks seen when built. Any internal flaws and marks (including hook marks) that are not seen when built do not constitute a B Stock unit.
When raw or thinly coated, materials like brass, copper, and aluminum will oxidize and patina naturally. Small blemishes and discolorations may be visible.
Screw holes are not fully anodized or coated, and small marks near the hole opening might be present.
