backers

MISSION CONTROL, WE HAVE TOUCHDOWN.

Ladies and gentlemen we’re on our final approach into the Kickstarter departure gate, with 14 days before we can fully disembark. On behalf of your crew here at Redux & Co. we want to exclaim,

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

Thousands have joined our COURG maiden voyage and enriched the project way beyond our expectations. We are humbled by the passion, enthusiasm, and confidence you have entrusted us with. We are elevated by the friendships we’ve formed, the encouragement shared through both clear skies and stormy headwinds.
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#COURGcrew — Full Throttle.

Welcome new backers, we’re full throttle on approach, with T -60 hours and change. And as promised, here’s the final drawings of the refined bezel and variant designs based on backer surveys and with navigation from flight tower to unify the diverse constraints into one cohesive fleet:

I wanted to preserve the use of colors in the legendary A-11 and Type-B, so I selected Pantone colors (Red 187 and Blue 534, if you’re geeks like us) for the respective dial second hand counterweights that hinted at their heritage without overpowering the rest of the dial. As I told A-11 backers, some of the WW2 watches featured a nice rich red. Some Type-B dials used blued-steel, so I went with a deep blue. And no, I don’t think blued-steel belongs on the COURG.
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#COURGcrew, this is your navigator from the flight deck.

We’re beginning our initial descent into the COURG departure gate vicinity. Keep your seat belts fastened and push your seats back as far as they can go. We know that you could have backed another campaign so we appreciate that you’ve chosen to join us and the Redux crew for our mission. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the remainder of the ride.

Thank you everyone for jumping in the Redux hangar to get your hands dirty and kick it with us in the workshop. We’ve hit critical mass in the surveys and I’ve gone ahead and begun the final drawings for the 5 dial and hand combinations that will embark for full production. I will do my very best to have those drawings to debrief with you by Monday.
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#COURGcrew — Welcome to the Redux & Co. Workshop Hangar!

We’ve hit the next phase of the COURG mission, DESIGN! First, a personal note:

I wanted to get this out yesterday, but I have to be honest with you all for a moment here (as usual I’m sure you’ve noticed). I’ve been so bummed and whelmed by all the chatter and squeaky wheels that it stalled me a bit and I lost sight for a couple days of the FACT that there are hundreds, dare I say over a thousand backers who aren’t complaining or demanding, and are simply enjoying the ride.

There are so many of you who have gone far above the call of duty to make this project truly what I intended and all that I had hoped for. From simple thank you notes, kind thoughtful personal messages, and pep talks to elaborate design proposals, sketches, and not a small amount of prayer.

I’m thankful to say that I think we’ve worked together not just to buy watches, but build a community around a mission instrument we’ve crafted together.
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#COURGcrew! Toronto dispatch.

Welcome new COURG mission backers! Pardon the radio silence. Over the weekend, we joined the wedding celebration of our close friends down in Virginia. CONGRATS and many blessings for the sojourn, J+MR!

I found out at the rehearsal dinner that the groom’s grandfather was a WW2 bomber pilot who relied on his A-11 watch during the war in his role to help the Allies dominate the air campaign. In fact, that A-11 is still somewhere in the family!

COURG A-11

Even more, the conversation reminded us of how that generation was forged through the Great Depression to emerge with character and grit on a mission to wage war for the soul of humanity.

Connections with backers and friends who are as stoked about recounting history lessons and fighter pilot legends makes this adventure extra meaningful! After the wedding, we flew straight up to Toronto to help out at a youth camp. Onward.

42mm, Flight Plan

After discussions with the manufacturer and thinking carefully about our mission objectives, we’ve decided to re-route departure of the 42mm … for now. I know this will come as a great disappointment to some of you, and I had hoped we could add that goal as well.

However, the machining and mold manufacturing process introduces an 80-day lag, and then another cycle of prototypes. That means a number of things: 1. This immediately pushes that timeline out to 2016. 2. I would need to work on redesigns for the new case and bezel and dials and hands and packaging in tandem with everything else. 3. Introduces additional logistics details such as different strap widths that would need to be matched. 4. Not your concern, but there are big tax implications that could hit if things don’t line up exactly correctly.

That said, I appreciate that many of you indicated interest in the 42mm, and yet enlisted to see the 39mm through so that on the wings of this success, we could have a platform to seriously consider the 42mm.

I expect that some of you will bail out, but I’d like to offer this: If you stay on board and help us see this project through, we’ll offer you a founders discount for when the time comes and we’re ready to tackle the next mission.

What do you say? All for one and one for all?

Cruising Altitude

It’s hard to believe, but we’ve only just about hit the halfway point! What a blast it has been and it’s a privilege to have you all on board. As you can imagine, as we level out on backers I’ve started to work on negotiating our suppliers (5 of them!) down on costs based on our supersized quantities. My goal is to bring those numbers down by maximizing recruiting efforts so that we can full throttle the upgrades for stretch goals. And this is a very fine balance. Speaking of which …

Stretch Goal Coordinates — #1 Achieved

I know many of you have eagerly anticipated the stretch goals. So I’m very pleased to announce that we’ll be including the Redux & Co. exclusive waxed canvas watch roll / mission folio for each backer at PRE-DAWN and up! You all made it happen!

CONGRATULATIONS!

Do I need to say passports and additional watches not included? There. I said it.

SITREP, T-15 Days

Next stretch goals? COURG was built to be hands down the best mission watch straight off the runway at a ridiculous value. Cadets, recall that we equipped the COURG with components and materials that often make up the stretch goal dreams of many other projects. Already onboard: Titanium, sapphire crystal, internal anti-reflective, automatic movement, multiple dial/hand combos. But you already knew that!

I know many backers mentioned that they were stalwart 42mm brigade, so now that we’ve announced the decision to home in on the 39mm, we need to see how many backers go MIA before we set further stretch goals.

That said, right now, I’m leaning towards focusing our resources and efforts towards functional improvements to the COURG machine for the long haul. I’d like to upgrade from 15ATM to 20ATM to boost water-resistance. I’d like to upgrade from titanium grade 2 to grade 5. To me, we’d elevate the COURG to the next level with these.

I understand the appeal of the leather strap as an early stretch, but that means pushing those refinements out. I’d prefer to try and hit the more meaningful goals first, and then see about the strap.

Thanks for flying in tight formation, and Godspeed. elbert, over and out.

#COURGcrew! Caseback design commences.

I can not tell you how excited I am to tell you that there are 4 talented backers among us now who have taken up tactical maneuvers to initiate preliminary design element drawings for the caseback! I’ll share the caseback design committee lead member names in an upcoming update if they want to be identified.

I’ve already seen one initial brainstorm layout that included NINE — yes, 9 designs, which covered a broad spectrum of possibilities from graphic elements to a clean military aesthetic. Needless to say, I’m super impressed. I always sort of envisioned the latter and this one hit kind of a sweet spot and I can’t help but share it. I imagine we’d add the logo and serial number. Understated. Purposeful, and best of all no head-twisting neck craning microscopic letters. What do you think?

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